Words Aren't the Only Way
by ObsessiveCompulsiveValkyrie
Summary: Oneshot collection for 18up readers ONLY! Chapter 10/11: Prompts for Springkink in July. 10: Cloud/Tifa/Zack. She'd do anything to make sure they stayed with her. Anything. 11: Two college students, one big crush. What can she do to get him to notice her?
1. Introduction

_**Introduction**_

Hello! ObsessiveCompulsiveValkyrie here! Sigh. I feel so naughty… Here I am, starting yet another drabble folder, yet this one contains stuff for the older crowd. This folder is rated 'M,' so whether you're eighteen or not is not my concern… If I do find that you are not and you report me for having graphic stuff up here, I can't get in trouble since I have placed proper warnings. For the heck of it, here's another one:

This folder contains adult situations! If you are not comfortable reading that sort of stuff, bugger off! I do, however, have another folder that is much more innocent that you may be interested in… Check it out, it's called 'CloTi Fluff an' Other Stuff.' There's a pretty similar introduction there, minus the warnings.

This particular drabble folder consists of various stories that were inspired by music, movies, plays, whatever. Perhaps even other fics. Proper credit is given at the start of each one and, as much as I wish I did, I don't own anything except my interpretations of the lyrics or whatever. I don't own Final Fantasy 7 or any of its spin-offs, either.

And let me be clear when I say 'inspired.' These stories are not necessarily songfics. They may be a derivative of just one line, or I might use the whole song. You see, I have a vivid imagination and these ideas just pop into my head while I'm listening to various songs. Each chapter has its own rating and genres, Mature and Romance/Fantasy are just general categories I gave to the whole thing.

Enjoy! Please review! Oh, and I accept requests, challenges, and prompts, too!


	2. Blood, Sweat, and Tears

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears**

**Rating**: M  
**Genre**: Romance/Supernatural  
**Inspired By**: Amaranth  
**Artist**: Nightwish  
**Summary**: Tifa was living the life of a dream; popular, pretty, and smart. When her father gets word that they have to move, she winds up in a school full of freaks… One in particular stands out from the rest.  
**Special Thanks to**: vLuna for proofreading and helping me with *Ahem* certain parts.  
**A/N**: Okey-dokey… So, this is the first lemony story I've written… Please don't be too harsh, but I am always open to constructive criticism. And, of course, I couldn't abandon my theme of supernatural oddities. Enjoy!

* * *

"Okay. Talk to you later! Glad to help!" Tifa snapped her cell phone shut after giving a classmate help with his homework and skipped down the stairs of her family's handsome two-story home in Nibelheim. She walked into the dining room and took her place at the table beside her mother. Her older brother sat across the table from her, helping himself to some mashed potatoes. Tifa waited patiently for him to finish and accepted the bowl from him when he was done. After scooping some potatoes onto her own plate, she covered them with the beef and gravy.

She folded her hands as her father began to say grace, "O Goddess, bless this food which we are about to receive in thy holy name. Amen."

She lifted her fork and began to eat her dinner happily. Her mother cleared her throat slightly, "So… spring break starts tomorrow, doesn't it, Tifa?"

Tifa nodded and swallowed her food before speaking, "Uh-huh. Midterms are finally over."

Her brother smiled smugly, "I didn't have Friday classes this semester, so my break started today."

"Yeah, well, not all of us are lucky enough to be in college and living in the dorms, Genesis."

Their father cleared his throat, "Speaking of which…" Tifa's and Genesis's eyes turned to their father, "My company offered me a promotion."

Tifa smiled openly, "That's great news, Dad!"

"Except. There's a small catch."

"What's that?"

"We have to move to Midgar."

Her mouth fell open, "But…! But…! What about…! I'm just about ready to graduate! Can't we stay here until then?"

"Tifa… You're still a junior… You still have another year until you graduate. If you were a senior, I might be able to convince the company to let us stay, but I can't. Not for a year."

"But all my friends are here!"

"You'll make new friends. And with technology these days you can keep in touch easily."

"But what about Genesis? He still has half a semester to finish!"

Genesis crossed his arms, "I'm living in the dorms… I can stay here easily enough and come see you guys in Midgar over the summer."

"This… this isn't fair!" she threw her fork on the table and ran up the stairs to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

***

The following Tuesday, her belongings all packed away and her farewells said, Tifa climbed into the family car for the three-day trip. The school in Midgar that her parents had transferred her to had spring break the same week, so she had three days to get accustomed to life in the big city before school started up again. She glanced over her shoulder from her spot in the backseat and waved to Genesis, who walked over and knocked on her window. She opened it and he grinned, "You know you'll have fun in the city. It'll be an adventure you won't soon forget, anyway."

***

Monday morning, she looked in her bedroom mirror, smoothing the pleated skirt of her uniform. She fixed her blazer and sighed before shouldering her messenger bag with 'Angel' printed on the side in curlicue lettering. She trudged down the hall of her new home, a three-bedroom apartment, and walked through the kitchen on her way to the door. Her father had already left for work, so it was just her and her mother. She scooped her lunch money off the counter and slid it into her bag before turning to face her mother. The older woman smiled, "Have fun, sweetheart. Are you sure you know the way?"

"Yes, Mom. I'll be fine. 'Bye." She walked out the door, locking it behind her, and rode the elevator down to the main floor. She walked outside and crossed the street before heading down the stairs leading to the subway. She climbed on the train, riding it the five minutes to her stop and stepped off.

She continued to her school and stopped at the office to fill out the final paperwork before heading to first period. She knocked on the door and walked in, stopping at the front when the teacher told her to. The older man nodded to the rest of his class, "This is our new student… a fresh transfer from Nibelheim." He turned to her, "Care to introduce yourself?"

'_Not really…'_ She put on a fake smile and spoke with her thick country accent, "I'm Tifa Lockhart."

The teacher waved his hands towards two empty adjacent seats. She walked over and moved to sit in one, but stopped when the girl behind her stuck her hand in the way, "That seat's taken… Its inhabitant isn't here yet."

"Okay…" Tifa slid into the other empty seat and set her bag at her feet. She sat through her teacher's boring lecture before packing up to head to second period.

The girl who had stopped her from sitting in the other seat paused next to her, "What room is your next class in?"

"Um…" Tifa glanced at her schedule, "Algebra, room 231."

"I'm headed in that direction. I can take you there if you want."

"Thanks. I'd… really appreciate that."

"No problem! Follow me!"

She walked out to the hall and waited for Tifa to catch up before leading her through the crowd. She led her up a flight of stairs and stopped in front of a door clearly labeled '231' before ushering her inside. "Talk to you later, Seracor!" she smiled and walked off.

Tifa shook her head before walking into the class and sitting down in a random chair near the back. The rest of the class filtered in just as the bell rang. The teacher started her lecture and Tifa watched as she went over equations she'd already learned at her old school.

Halfway through the class, the door clicked open and a boy walked in, blue eyes scanning the room before stopping on her. He wore the school uniform well out of conduct, jacket open, white dress shirt unbuttoned, and black undershirt showing. The most peculiar feature was the thin leather band, about a half-inch think, circling his throat. Hanging off of it was a broad cross about five inches tall made of shades of gold and silver with black beads falling in two loops from the top of the cross to the sides of the band. Without showing so much as a hint of a smile, he walked to the back of the room and dropped into the seat next to her.

She tried to follow the teacher's lesson, but was constantly distracted by his eyes constantly burning holes into her. She glanced over at him once and immediately his eyes moved elsewhere. As soon as she turned away, she felt his gaze on her again. She shook her head and forced herself to ignore him. Finally, the bell signaling the end of class rang and she grabbed her stuff and ran out of class as quickly as she could.

***

She made it through the rest of the morning without ever seeing the creepy guy from algebra again. Walking through the cafeteria with her tray in hand, she found an empty table on in the corner, where she sat down and started sifting through the mush on her plate. She stared at her tray, vaguely wondering if the girl from this morning was in this lunch period.

The scuff of a chair on the tile floor warranted her to look up to find the guy from algebra sitting down across from her, tray in hand. She raised an eyebrow, "Am I that interesting?" He remained silent as he slowly picked through his food. She decided that, if he wasn't going to speak, at least he could serve as a guinea pig and see if the food was safe to eat.

"Oh, we have a new seat? Iurgium, you need to stop jumping all over the place." The girl from first period sat down, and, just noticing Tifa, said, "Oh… I guess you met Seracor, huh?"

Tifa looked at her, puzzled, "What does… Seracor mean?"

"Lockheart."

The two girls looked over as the silent, cross-wearing guy uttered Tifa's last name. The other girl smiled, "Hey! He does speak!"

Tifa turned to look at her, "You mean he's never spoken before?"

The girl laughed, "No, silly! He talks, just not very often. Right, Iurgium?" She stuck a hand into his golden hair and shifted it back and forth in something of a noogie.

"Iur…gium…?"

"His name."

"Ooh! Is it Give Noogie to Cloud Day?" A tall guy with black hair slipping down his neck dropped into the seat between Tifa and the other girl.

She smiled, "I guess introductions are in order." She gestured to Tifa, "This is Seracor. Seracor. This is Iurgium," she pointed to the blond, "and Nundinae." The dark-haired guy.

"Translation," the new guy grinned, "That's Cloud, Miss Nonsense over here is Aerith, and I," he struck a pose, "am Zack."

She smiled, glad to have uncomplicated names for them, "And I'm Tifa. Tifa Lockhart."

***

Tifa walked out of the building after her first day of school in Midgar, Aerith walking beside her, and bit her lip, wondering if she should ask. Finally, she gave up and blurted, "Aerith? Why does Cloud wear that cross on his neck?"

Aerith stopped in her tracks, a finger on her chin, contemplating how to answer. She sighed, "Let's just say it's for religious reasons and leave it at that."

"Huh?"

"Well… If he wants you to know, he can tell you."

"Okay… I guess it's a touchy subject, huh?"

"Yeah." She flashed a bright smile, "I'm glad you understand!"

"I don't really, but whatever."

She smiled again, "Like I said, if he wants you to know, he'll tell you himself." She stopped, "This is where I turn. See you tomorrow, Seracor!"

"Yeah… Tomorrow."

Tifa made her way over to the train station, then thought better of it and decided to walk. She quickly found herself lost among the tall, identical buildings. Everything looked so familiar, yet she had no idea if she was going circles or not. Finally, remembering her mother at home, she pulled out her cell phone and was about to call her when she realized she didn't know her new number yet. Mentally scolding herself, she turned randomly and found herself in a dead end.

She sighed and turned, freezing when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned slowly to find a greasy-looking man with a crooked smile. Taking that as a bad thing, she inhaled and screamed as loudly as she could before feeling something cool on her neck. No, make that something sharp. The man moved his knife-less hand from her shoulder to her waist and pulled her further into the alley, whispering in her ear, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, girly."

She stared, wide-eyed, immobilized by her own fear. She shook as his hand slowly slipped its way under her skirt and moved between her thighs. Squeezing her eyes shut, she focused on her growing hatred for this stranger. She contemplated her options in her mind; she could either cooperate and let him have his way with her, or she could try to run and possibly get killed in the process. Option two seemed like the obvious answer, but when she tried to move, she found her body refused to listen.

Tears leaked out the corners of her eyes as she felt her panties drop to her ankles. She felt his fingers moving behind her and the sound of a zipper coming undone. _'Oh, Goddess! Please help me!'_

A flash of bright blue fire erupted around her, sending a new heat through her body. The thug's grip loosened on her suddenly and she felt herself drop to the filthy ground. She took her chance to pull herself to her feet, kicking her underwear off to get more mobility. She tried to run but fell right back to her knees. Unwilling to waste her opportunity, she crawled on her hands and knees to put as much distance between herself and her attacker.

She felt a sharp pain in her head as she shuffled head-on into a dumpster. Turning, she pressed her back to the green metal and glanced around briefly to see what had happened. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw Cloud standing there, still in his bedraggled school uniform, holding the thug off the ground with one hand gripping his neck. Tifa watched, too frightened to move at this point, and cringed when she heard the satisfying choke coming from the ruffian's throat. Seconds later, his body went limp and he hung there, dead. The blond lowered him to the ground and laid him on his back, keeping his head in his lap.

Tifa felt a wave of nausea overcome her as he leaned over and buried his face in the dead man's neck. Unable to fight it anymore, she turned and threw up in the rainwater still on the ground. Cloud looked up at the sound, blood dripping down his lips, and seemed to realize for the first time that she was there. He stood slowly, dropping the man onto the ground with a thud, and made his way closer to her. His eyes glowed with the same intensity of the blue fire -the same as the one that had saved her- as he knelt beside her, slowly tipping his chin towards her neck.

A feminine voice cried out, "_Vīsiō_!"

Seconds after Tifa felt two holes puncture into her skin, the smooth feeling of Cloud's lips on her neck left. He leaned back, away from her, blinking uncertainly. He reached back and slid his hand into his jacket pocket. His hand came back out with his cross, which Tifa just realized was missing, clutched within. Reaching up, he reattached it to his leather collar before moving back. He stood and extended a hand to Tifa to help her up, "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to go so far…"

A small hand slapped Cloud's away and Tifa looked up to see Aerith standing there, hands on her hips and an oversized wolf sitting neatly behind her on its haunches. The petite girl glared at the blond, "What were you thinking!? You almost ruined her!"

Cloud's reply was monotonous, "If I hadn't done what I did, she would have been ruined in a different way."

"You took it too far! You should know better by now! You're irresponsible! As your _custos_, I hereby order you back to Orcus!"

"Fine. So be it." He ran his tongue over his lips, licking up the last drops of blood thereon.

"Wait!" Tifa managed to pull herself to her feet, "Cloud… Aerith… Um, Wolf-guy… I have absolutely no idea what just happened, but Cloud saved me from… from… Well, please don't punish him!"

"I get no recognition, do I?" the wolf spoke, slowly leaning over and, gradually, its fur began to retract into its body, which was looking more human by the second. Finally, grey hair transitioned to black and he raised his head, a grin on his face.

"Zack…?"

Aerith turned to Tifa, shoulders shaking in visible anger, "You're right… You do have no idea what happened. Tell me. How long was he feeding off of you?"

"What…? I…"

"How long was he drinking your blood?"

"I… Only a few seconds… I don't know exactly…"

"Fine. You really want him to stay? So be it. He's probably the only one who can help you at this point, anyway." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pink cell phone and dialed a number much longer than seven digits. She walked out of earshot, leaving Zack to watch over Cloud and Tifa.

The brunette bit her lip, "So… What just happened?"

Zack let his shoulders droop, "Sorry, I'm just Aerith's _comes_. I can't say anything without her permission."

Cloud sighed and crossed his arms, "You didn't have to do that. I was in the wrong… I deserve my punishment."

"I don't know what the hell you guys are or where you came from, but what I do know was that that guy was going to do something to me that could never unhappen… So, thank you."

Aerith walked over, snapping her phone closed, "Alright, Iurgium, the Dominus said you may stay… Your punishment is to stay with Seracor at all times and solve any adverse reactions your pleasures may have had on her."

Tifa looked over at her, "Wait. What?"

"Either he stays with you every moment of the day, or he goes back to Orcus. Your choice."

Tifa got the feeling that wherever Orcus was, it wasn't a very pleasant place. She pressed her palm to the bleeding marks on her neck, "But… My parents… I can't just bring a guy home and tell them I'm not allowed to leave his sight."

Aerith reached out, touching Tifa's hand pressed over her wound and whispered, "_Melior fieri!_"

Tifa stroked her neck slightly, no longer feeling the teeth marks. "Just one thing…" she wiped her blood on her skirt, feeling oddly exposed without her panties, "I need an explanation. Who exactly _are_ you?"

Aerith sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, "That… would be difficult to answer. Suffice to say that we hail from Orcus, a realm parallel to this one, yet different in so many ways. I, as a council member, bring youths here to train. Iurgium has failed in his lesson. Nundinae accompanies me to the mortal realm as my _comes_. As you may have guessed, I am a witch, Nundinae a werewolf, and Iurgium a vampire. Very powerful, but hazardous without the proper training."

"I…" she feel to knees, holding her head, "This is too much…"

"If you do not wish to help Iurgium, I will erase your memory of this moment and you can go on as if this never happened."

"I… Can I try doing this thing with Cloud and change my mind later if it doesn't work?"

"Of course. He is in your debt now. He drank your blood. That is crime enough to warrant use of this," she reached into her book bag and withdrew a wooden stake.

"I'm assuming real life vampires are like mythical ones in the stake-through-the-heart thing, huh?"

"Correct."

"Huh…"

Cloud walked up behind her, "The night is getting thicker. You need your sleep. We would be wise to return to your dwelling."

"Um, yeah…"

"One more thing…" Aerith touched her fingers to the blood still on Tifa's neck and moved to Cloud, smearing the crimson substance over his cross while mumbling, "_Ligare!_"

The blond touched his cross as the blood faded inside of it before turning to Tifa, "We're bound, now. I stray too far from you and I will be deported to Orcus without another thought."

Tifa blinked, "Okay…"

Aerith flashed a bright smile, "Great! See you two in school tomorrow! I'll send Nundinae over with a clean uniform for you, okay, Iurgium?"

He nodded, "Yeah… Thanks, Aerith."

Tifa watched in surprise in their sudden transition from master and student to high school friends. She glanced at Cloud, who stared back. He blinked and gestured towards the street, "I'm following you."

"I, um, don't know where I am."

"Where do you live?"

"Third sector, sixth district."

"Follow me." He turned and started walking; pausing briefly to make sure she was following. She came up beside him and walked with her eyes on the ground. When they found their way to the sixth district, he paused turning to her for guidance. She looked around and, thank the Goddess, recognized where she was. She led him to her building, pausing when he grabbed her wrist.

She looked at him, "What?"

"You don't look sad."

"What?"

He didn't say anything; instead he gripped her wrist tighter, almost to the point of breaking it. She let out a whimper as a few tears ran down her face. Satisfied, he released her arm and turned to walk into the building. Cradling her hurt arm against her body she caught up to him and stopped in front of him, slapping him as hard as she could with her unhurt hand, "What was that for?"

"My plan."

"What?"

"In order for my plan to work, you have to be sad. Sad and angry. But more sad."

"What?"

"Follow my lead."

"Oh, fine." She didn't have any ideas to get him into her home. Might as well go with his. She gave an involuntary shudder and let fake tears start to fall, lip trembling. She ran after Cloud to catch up with him and led him up to the elevator. She opened her apartment door and walked inside, getting tackled by her mother almost immediately.

The older woman screamed into her daughter's hair, "Good heavens! Where were you!?"

Tifa felt another round of tear slip down her cheeks, "Mom, I…"

Cloud took a step forward, walking into her home, "I suggest she get a shower and get cleaned up. This is going to be a chaotic tale."

Tifa's father stood from his place on the couch, "And you are…?"

"Apologies. I'm Cloud Strife. A classmate and friend from Tifa's school. I arrived just in time to prevent her from being raped."

Her parents reacted together, "_What!?_"

Her father collected himself first. He turned to Tifa, "Is this true?"

She felt the tears well up in her eyes and managed a weak nod, "Mm-hm…"

Her mother turned back to her and embraced her again, "Goddess bless you, sweetie." She turned to her husband, "Call the police."

Tifa pushed away from her mother's embrace, "No! I… You can't!"

Cloud remained completely silent as her mother looked at her, "Why?"

"Because then people at school will hear about it and then they'll all distance themselves from me and mock me for it and… and…"

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but we can't let that monster roam the streets. He could hurt someone else… and they might not have a good boy like… I'm sorry. What did you say you're name was?"

The blond kept his gaze steady, "Cloud."

"They might not have a good boy like Cloud to help them."

"Fine… Do what you have to… Just… tell the police to keep it quiet, please?"

"Of course, sweetie." She walked over to Cloud and pulled him into an embrace, "Thank you. Thank you for helping her. If there's anything we can do…"

"I can't think of anything…" He turned to the door, "I'll be leaving now."

Tifa took her queue and reached out to him, "Wait!"

He paused, "Hm?"

"Can you stay?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I… I'd feel much safer if you were here… Please stay."

"Tifa, I…" He looked to her parents, "Is it alright if I stay?"

They exchanged a glance before her mother spoke, "What about your parents?"

"I'm here as an exchange student. My friends will cover for me if they know I'm helping Tifa."

"I see." She turned to Tifa, "If it'll make you feel better, he can stay in Genesis's room, okay?"

A smile crossed the younger girl's face, "Thank you…"

***

Tifa sat at the table the next morning, eating her oatmeal. Cloud leaned against the counter, watching her while helping himself to a glass of cranberry juice. A knock sounded from the door and when Tifa moved to stand, Cloud held a hand out in a 'sit' kind of way and moved to the door. Glancing through the peephole first, he turned the locks and opened the door to reveal a bright and happy Zack holding a paper bag. Cloud stepped to the side to let him in, but he shook his head and held the bag towards him. Cloud took it and glanced inside before shutting the door on a leaving Zack. He reached in the bag and held a clean uniform for her to see before heading to the bathroom to change.

Half an hour later, the two of them got off the train near the school, Cloud following closer than her own shadow. She shrugged uncomfortably, "So… How far apart can we be exactly?"

He looked at his cross for a brief moment as if examining it for something, "Judging by the spell level, I'd say eighteen feet, give or take."

"Mm… Wait. _Eighteen feet_? What the… How are we supposed to do school? We're only in three classes together…"

"Not anymore."

"Huh?"

***

When third period -her first class without Cloud- came around, she walked in the direction of her class with the blond following unnaturally close. She passed through the door and took her seat, watching to see what Cloud would do. He walked around behind her and leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. She sat throughout class, taking notes and glancing back from time to time at her recently acquired guardian.

Once the bell rang, he stepped forward and waited beside her as she gathered her books together. They left and made their way to fourth period where she took her assigned seat in the second row while Cloud looked around for a decent spot to lean against. Finding none, he walked over and swung his leg over the back of her chair, sliding in behind her. Feeling a blush burn at her cheeks, she remained facing the teacher.

She forced herself to concentrate on note-taking, but seven minutes into the class, he reached up and took her pencil from her, whispering in her ear, "How do you humans live like this?" He touched the pencil to the paper and copied the lesson word-for-word, as quickly as the instructor spoke.

Tifa watched in surprise as he jotted down the notes with practiced ease. She glanced slightly to the right to find his face almost right next to hers, focusing on the sheet of paper before him. She licked her lips briefly and turned back to the teacher with a tight feeling in her stomach she couldn't explain.

***

They made their way to the cafeteria at noon and went through the line. After receiving their trays they headed over to the table where Aerith sat, now waiting on Zack. The blond and brunette sat down next to each other, the latter casting flushed glances at the former. Zack came over a moment later and dropped his tray next to Aerith's before sitting down next to her, regular grin in place, "So, how was your first morning under your binding?"

Tifa felt her blush deepen, but managed to shrug it off as the deep voice beside her replied, "Fine."

Aerith linked her fingers before her, elbows resting on the table, "Is that so?"

"Yes."

"Good. Because of your irresponsibility, you've been discharged as my student and Nundinae and I have been called back to Orcus."

"What does that mean for me? Will someone else come to babysit me?"

"No. You are Seracor's property now, in every sense of the word. She decides when you will be ready to return to Orcus, when you will be ready to break to curse, when you will be ready to be considered an adult. If she ever deems you worthy, of course. You belong to her family, her blood. If she should die before accepting you, then you will be passed on to her children; and then to her children's children. You also have leave to tell her anything you deem necessary about our people."

"I see."

"Is that all you can say? I just told you that you are a slave to a mortal and all you can say is, 'I see'?"

"What more should I say?"

Aerith sighed, "You are hopeless. Well, Seracor, I wish you the best of luck."

The younger girl managed a weak smile, "Um, thank you?"

"No problem." She smiled, "We'll be leaving at the end of the week."

***

After lunch that Friday, Tifa walked through the halls, Cloud right behind her, and paused at an open doorway. She pushed the door open the rest of the way and pulled the blond in with her by the wrist. He let her, seeing as to how he didn't have much choice, and stopped and blinked in silence as she clicked the door shut behind her. She came closer to him and set her hands on his chest, feeling his breath hitch as she stepped ever nearer, tipping her chin to take his lips with her own. Pressing her body closer to his, she brought her hands up to twist in his golden spikes.

He kissed her back, albeit a little reluctantly. At first, he seemed content letting her have her way with him; but after tasting the sweet strawberry of her lip gloss, he met her in fierce battle for control. He gently set his hands on her hips and slid them up her back as the kiss intensified.

She felt his tongue flicker against her lips and, having never been kissed like this before, hesitantly parted them for him. Almost instantly his tongue found its way into her mouth, massaging her own moist muscle with every motion. Overcome by the sensation, she fought with him, eventually gaining access to explore his mouth. She slid her tongue between his parted lips and curled it around his teeth, grinding it on his overlong incisors, the proof of his vampirism. She heard a low, strangled groan escape his throat as she teased his fangs, apparently striking an effective chord.

She couldn't help the disappointment deep within her as he pulled back, looking her in the eye. She gazed back, unwilling to surrender this moment, "Cloud…"

His intense blue stare searched her features for a sign of anything as he whispered, "Tifa… Why…?"

Unable to take the heat of his eyes any longer, she buried her face in his neck and spoke, "Cloud… I… If I'm going to be stuck with you for the rest of my life, I want to spend it the way my heart tells me to."

His shoulders sagged slightly, "I drank your blood… I am yours now."

"I don't want to be with you like this unless you're happy with it… Even if I 'own' you… I want you to feel the same way about me as I do about you."

"Tifa…" He settled his cheek against her hair, "You have nothing to worry about. When I drank your blood, I tasted your being… When you kissed me, I tasted your hunger… Now, all I want is to taste all of you… Your body, blood, and soul."

"Cloud…" She tightened her grip around his shoulders, "And taste me you will…"

***

When the day was over, Tifa followed Cloud out of the building, reaching out and slipping her hand into his with a casual motion. He squeezed her hand back before pausing mid-stride and pulling her closer to him, pressing his lips to hers. She melted under his gentle caress as his fingers eased their way up her spine. He broke it off, pulling back from her before turning and pulling her along after him.

They kept their hands linked as he led her to the apartment he shared with Aerith and Zack. After riding the elevator to the fifth floor, he released her hand and unlocked the door, pushing it open. Zack and Aerith were moving about, packing up random things that Tifa had no idea what they were. The latter looked up with a smile, "Hello, Seracor, Iurgium. Here to say good-bye?"

Cloud nodded, "Yeah."

Tifa bit her lip uncertainly, wondering where she was supposed to go. Cloud's apartment looked cozy, yet almost as messy as if monsters were living there. She mentally slapped her forehead; there _were_ monsters living there. Not wanting to escape their distance limit, she followed Cloud to his room, unsure of what to expect.

He pushed the door open, and other than the closed blinds and other fabric shielding the windows, it was a relatively normal room. A bed on one side, a nightstand, a desk, a dresser… An alarm clock, books stacked high, an assortment of different crosses and rosaries hanging on the wall, and-

"Garlic?" Tifa let out a small snort at the sight of three cloves hanging from the ceiling.

"Not all mortal myths are accurate…" He walked over, took one of the cloves in his hand and sniffed it, "I happen to like the smell of garlic."

She let out a little giggle, "I like the taste… And the smell, sometimes, but if I'm going to be bunking with you then we're gonna have to talk."

"You make it sound as if we're getting married."

Blushing furiously, she punched him on the shoulder and stuttered a laugh, "You wish."

"Damn right I do."

She froze, "Wha…?"

The door creaked open and Aerith poked her head in, "Alright, we're gonna head out now. If you need help, you can always call."

Cloud turned to face her, "Thanks, Aerith. I know I haven't been the best student, but I was lucky to have a teacher like you."

"Oh, pfft!" she waved a hand in front of her face, "Never mind that, Iurgium! You concentrate on getting used to living with Seracor, here."

"I know. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate everything you did for me."

"You know I don't mind. Come here!" She stretched her arms out in front of her for a hug, which he reluctantly granted. She squeezed his shoulders briefly and stepped back, "Make me proud, Iurgium!"

"I intend to."

"Good!"

Tifa took a step forward, "Could I have a hug, too? If it wasn't for you, I probably never would've met any of you guys…"

Her smile faded as she crossed her arms, "Are you blaming me for your pet?"

"No! Cloud's not my 'pet,' either! I was being thankful!"

A grin flashed back to her features, "I know. I was just making sure. Of course you can have a hug, Seracor!"

Tifa reached out to embrace the first friend she'd made in Midgar, a friend she'd just met earlier this week. She pulled her tightly against her, thankful to have her on her side. They stayed like that for a good, long moment until Tifa heard the jingle of her cell phone in her pocket. She pulled back, glanced apologetically at Aerith and answered it, "Hello?"

Her mother's voice sounded from the other end, "Where in the world are you?"

"I'm at-" she thought better than to say Cloud's- "Aerith's."

"Who's Aerith?'

"She's a friend."

"Oh, I see."

"Mom…?" she cast a small glance in Cloud's direction.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"I was wondering… Could I spend the night here? Aerith's a good friend."

She was silent for a moment, "Can I talk to her?"

"Sure! Just a sec!" Tifa moved the phone away from her ear and tapped Aerith on the shoulder, "Would you mind talking to my mother and convince her that you're a good enough friend to let me spend the night here? You know, because of the binding thing?"

"Of course! Let me talk!" She took the phone from Tifa and spoke into the receiver, "Hello, Mrs. Seracor! Mm-hm… I'm Aerith…"

Tifa turned back to where Zack and Cloud were engaged in a guys' farewell. In other words, Zack held Cloud under one arm in a massive noogie attack with no mercy at all.

***

Cloud and Tifa sat on the couch of his apartment after seeing Zack and Aerith off to Orcus. Turns out, it wasn't much more than watching them walk through a floor-length mirror that hung in the living room. Tifa sat with her hands in her lap, "So… Now what?"

He turned to look at her out of the corner of his eye, "Hm?"

"Well, my mom thinks I'm at an all-girl sleepover, so I guess we're home-free to do what we want."

He twisted in his seat to face her full-on, "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know. You could show me around. I'll probably be spending quite a bit of time here, anyway."

He stood, extended a hand to help her up and spoke, "There really isn't much to see… Especially since Zack and Aerith left…"

"Mm… Well, I'd still like to see it."

"Alright…" he shrugged slightly, "This way."

He waved around the main room pointing to the different sections as he named them, "Living room, kitchen, dining area…" He turned and led her down the hall, pointing to different doors, "Bathroom, my room, Aerith's 'office,' Zack's and Aerith's bedroom…"

"They shared a room? Wouldn't it make more sense for you and Zack to share since you're both guys?"

A tiny smile crept onto his lips, "You have no idea what '_comes'_ means, do you?"

"Ahh… No… I assumed it meant 'attendant,' or something…"

"'_Comes'_ means 'companion.' Their relationship is similar to that of a mortal husband and wife. Zack follows Aerith because it is custom for the weaker _comes_ to follow the stronger."

"Okay… I really have no idea what that means."

"Don't worry. You'll understand eventually," he chuckled.

"If you say so." She paused, glancing around, "We still have a good hour before we should turn in…"

"Yeah…" He smirked, "I guess homework is always an option."

"I suppose. I'll grab my bag."

"Yeah. We can work in my room. You can have the desk. I always work better on the bed, anyway."

"Okay."

She walked back to the living room and grabbed her bag off the couch before heading back to his room, where she found him standing at his desk, back turned, digging his own books out of the stack of things thereon. She set the bag down and walked up behind him, footsteps silent yet she didn't doubt he could hear her, and rested her head on his back, breathing softly and listening to his heartbeat. His shoulders relaxed slightly at the contact and she couldn't help but feel a consuming heat building in the pit of her stomach. She set a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face her, bringing her lips to touch his.

His hands found her petite middle, absently teasing the waistband of her skirt. Feeling her way from his hair and down his neck, she stopped her roaming with her hands on his chest. She slid them under the open fabric of his jacket and button-down shirt, pushing it off his shoulders to rest at his elbows. He paused, pulling back from her, and whispered in the dark room, "Are you sure…?"

"Yes…" Her monosyllabic response spurred him further, arousal building against the insides of her thighs, the closeness of their bodies making it impossible for her to miss. He released her waist and let his forcefully-removed clothing fall to the floor in a crumpled pile before undoing the buttons of her jacket and pushing it off to join his.

She slid her knee between his, her body functioning on autopilot as she fervently attacked his mouth. He retaliated to her advances, grasping the zipper of her skirt resting at her hip and tugging it down to let the plaid material fall to her bare ankles. Shifting his hands to rest on the backs of her thighs, he tugged her off her feet, lifting her up to straddle his hips. He carried her over to the bed and set her down softly before crawling up to kneel between her parted legs.

Hands on his shoulders, she smoothed them down over the tight material of his undershirt and slipped them under the hem, flipping it off over his head and tossing it to the side. Wanting only to return the favor, he pulled at the buttons to her shirt, succeeding to push the two sides apart to reveal her breasts, still clad in a lacey white bra. He gave a smirk as he realized said bra clasped in the front. Slipping a hand between them, he freed the hook and pushed it to the side. She arched her back and released a moan of pleasure as he softly teased the mountainous flesh with his lips. Her hands slipped behind his neck to unfasten the leather band holding his cross, but his free hand came up to pull her touch away, slowly shaking his head 'no.' Instead, she felt her way down his beautifully sculpted torso, finding the buckle to his belt and tried in vain to unfasten it. Supporting himself on one elbow, he lowered his other hand to assist her in her task.

Buckle released, she undid the button and zipper of his slacks and hooked her thumbs into the waistband of his boxers, pushing them down as far as she could in her current position. He gave a sigh of relief as his erection found the freedom of its confinement and kicked his pants off the rest of the way. Slipping two fingers into the waistband of her panties, he tugged them down in one fell swoop and tossed the damp cotton to join the rest of their discarded clothing. Gently, he touched his palm to her breast, swirling the thumb over her tightened nipple before curling his fingers and running his knuckles to her bare stomach, caressing downwards to her hip. Reaching her thigh, he paused, vaguely unsure of what to do next. His body made his mind for him, trailing his fingers closer to her center.

She groaned against the building anticipation deep in her stomach as his soft fingertips teased her entrance. She released a gasp of surprise as two of his fingers found their way between her folds and began to massage her sweet spot. Her moans of pleasure sounded loudly in his ears, fueling him on. His fingers continued their dance within her, twisting and teasing. She gripped his shoulders until her knuckles turned white in a feeble attempt to stabilize herself from his relentless attacks.

Her mind was racing, cruising on a sexual high. She felt about to lose it in every possible meaning of the word when his fingers slowly retreated from within her. Releasing a gasp, she forced her eyes open to look at him. He was still perched above her, supporting himself with his one hand while his other slowly came up to eye level. She watched in breathless curiosity as he smoothly slipped his fingers between his lips to taste her liquid. His eyes closed in ecstasy as he licked his fingers clean, processing the flavor of her.

His eyes snapped open again, watching her watch him, and rearranged his position above her, lining his tip up to her entrance. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the impact of his breach. Feeling nothing, she peeked up at him to find him perfectly still, eyes full of emotion as he silently asked her permission one more time.

Closing her eyes once more, she gave her unspoken response by placing her hands on his hips and bringing him down to her. He grunted at the initial contact, relaxing slightly as his body accustomed to the sensation. A low growl passed through his lips and a small smile formed on her face in response. Bracing the bed beside her, he withdrew slightly before thrusting down again. She gasped, clutching his shoulders as he moved in and slipped out again over and over, trailing light kisses along her jaw line and down her neck in his wake.

All too quickly, a blinding light filled her vision as she came. Feeling the urge to scream, she bit down on his shoulder to keep it in. She tasted blood as her teeth clenched more tightly around his flesh. His fangs scraped softly on her flesh, itching to pierce her the way she had him. The intensity of her orgasm passed, she released his shoulder and flopped back against the pillow, cooing to the darkness, "Do it… I don't mind…"

A little reluctantly, he slid his lips to the pulse point on neck, suckling it before parting his lips and biting his incisors into her neck. His body stiffened above her as he reached his own limit, his seed spilling into her before milliseconds had passed.

She lay there, breathing heavily as his body slumped down on top of her from his own exhaustion. Slowly, he raised his head to rest his forehead on hers, whispering, "Why did you let me…?"

She released a low moan, "You wanted it… You wanted to taste me, remember…?"

"Tifa… I didn't…"

"It's okay. I don't mind. If this is the price to pay to be with you, I'll gladly pay it."

"Tifa…"

"Don't… Not now…"

He grunted a response before bracing his hand next to her and slowly pulling himself out of her. He dropped down beside her, reaching down to pull the spare bedspread up over them. She gave a small moan and snuggled up against him, giving in to the impending sleep clawing at her brain.

***

Tifa woke the next morning with the smell of sweat and blood filling her nostrils. She groaned at the sunlight peeking its way around the curtains and turned in to face the strong, well-muscled body beside her. She could hear the smile in his voice as his kissed the top of her head and spoke, "Not much of a morning person, are we?"

"Shut up, vampire."

He laughed a little, clearly in a much better mood then he had been since she met him. He tightened his arms around her slender torso, "Why should I?"

She glanced at him through squinted eyes, hating the light this morning even more than most days, "Because your master commands."

His smile faded, "Of course."

She looked at him more fully, "I'm kidding, Cloud."

His eyes widened at the sight of her shimmering red irises, "Tifa…"

She squinted in the light once more, "What?"

"Your eyes… They're…"

"What, Cloud? What about my eyes?"

"They're… glowing…"

"What are you talking about…?" she buried her face in his flesh, out of sight.

"Hang on… I need to call someone," he untangled his body from hers and crawled over top of her to get out of bed. Immediately, her face went to the pillows and her arms hugged it, pulling it to her face. He dug around his room, searching for a brief moment before lifting his discarded pants and pulling a phone out of the pocket. He flipped it open and dialed a twelve-digit number before pressing send.

The girl on the other end picked up, "Miss me already, Iurgium?"

"Aerith… I need your help. Something's not right with Tifa."

Her attention snapped completely onto his voice and he could imagine her leaning forward in her seat, "What do you mean?"

"The curtains are drawn, yet she's still complaining of how bright the sun is; her eyes are unnaturally bright, and she's just lying in bed, groaning whenever I try to talk to her…"

"Check her teeth."

"Just a sec." He walked over, bent down next to the bed, and slid an index finger under her mess of hair. She released an irritated moan, but gave up as he found his way between her lips. He rubbed his fingertip along her top row of teeth, feeling his stomach drop as he reported to Aerith, "Yeah, they're longer."

She hissed under her breath, "Damn it…" Turning her attention back to Cloud, she asked, "Did anything happen that might've spread your powers to her?"

"Eh…" he fumbled for a moment, trying to figure out how to word his response when his gaze fell on the small patch of dried blood on his shoulder. "She ingested my blood."

"And how, may I ask, did that happen?"

"I cut myself… Before I could stop her, she went to suck on the wound the way mortals do…"

"Mm… I'll report this to the council immediately and then I'll be there to fit her for her own rosario."

"Thanks, Aerith."

She sighed, "Anytime, Iurgium."

He snapped his phone shut and grabbed his pants off the floor and started dressing, knowing it wouldn't be long before Aerith would arrive. He finished pulling his clothes on and grabbed a pair of sweat pants out of his dresser and tugged them up over Tifa's legs. She offered little resistance, simply mumbling incoherent curses against the pillow. He touched her shoulder and prepared himself for the worst before flipping her onto her back. She screamed vague obscenities as the sun came back into her vision. Gritting his teeth, he set to work buttoning the shirt that had managed to stay on throughout the night.

Seconds after he finished the last button, a warped noise came from the living room and Aerith's voice called out, "Anybody home?"

Cloud leaned towards the door, kicking Tifa's skirt and panties out of sight, "In here!"

Aerith bounced in, Zack at her heels, a smile on her face as she walked in, "How gentlemanly of you… Giving her your bed…"

Cloud scratched the back of his head, "Tifa?"

"Oh, right," she took two steps into the room and paused. She turned slowly to look at Cloud, "You two fucked, didn't you? You sneaky little bastards fucked!"

"I- we…"

"Save it, Iurgium. You knew full well what possible consequences could come of this… I'll assume you didn't tell her, either?"

"Aerith… That's not important right now… Can we focus on Tifa?"

"Fine." She dropped to the floor beside the bed in a huff, "Only because she didn't know what she was getting into."

"Look, it wasn't really the first thing on my mind."

She raised a hand, "_Tace!_"

Immediately, Cloud's voice failed him as her silence spell took effect. He sighed and dropped down on the bed near Tifa's feet as Aerith examined her for physical oddities. She held her hand out and Zack walked over, setting a decent sized velvet box in her palm. She cracked it open and lifted a cross attached to a leather band out, slipping it around the cringing girl's neck and fastening the buckle.

She held a hand over Tifa and whispered, "_Remittere._" She turned to Cloud, "_Dicere!_"

His voice came back to him at her command, "Aerith…"

"She will be alright, though she'll have to accompany us back to Orcus to get her a teacher… Since you cannot be enslaved to another monster, we'll have to get you a new _custos_, too."

He looked downward, "I understand. Just… Can I have one request?"

"I don't think you're in the position to, but go ahead."

"Please don't take her away from me…" he pulled Tifa's foot on his lap and gently stroked the soft flesh, "I love her."

She dropped her forehead to her palm, "After last night, the two of you are almost _comitis_."

He kept his gaze on the floor, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to me." She gestured to Tifa as she stood, "She's the one who's going to have to abandon the life she knew."

"I meant, I'm sorry for being such a terrible student… For being a terrible son."

She sighed, walking over to cup his cheek, "It's not your fault, Cloud." He looked up as she spoke his true name, a rarity for her. "You've helped me more than you can imagine."

"And you me."

"It's what mothers do, even if we aren't of the same blood."

"That's all the more reason for me to be ashamed… You took me in after my blood mother was killed, and I can't even repay you properly."

A soft moan came from the bed as Tifa pushed herself to a sitting position, rubbing one hand at her eyes, "What happened…?"

Cloud slid down the bed, sitting right beside her, "Tifa… I…" Aerith motioned to Zack to leave and pulled the door shut behind her as they walked out. The blond focused his attention on Tifa once more, "I made a mistake… One that you could hate me for…"

"Cloud…" She reached a hand out to stroke his pale face, "I could never hate you."

"Tifa… Because of my carelessness last night, you… you're a vampire now… You swallowed some of my blood…"

Not fully comprehending his words, she placed a chaste kiss on his lips, "I have no regrets… Whatever happens from here on out, we'll face it together. We are still bound, right?"

A small smile crept to his features, "Yeah. I forgot about that…" He looked up to meet her gaze, "Tifa…"

Aerith leaned in the doorway, "The council has word on you two… We're gonna go find out what's going on. You two stay here."

Tifa gave her a mocking salute, "Yes, Ma'am!"

Cloud nodded his agreement and Aerith left, the sound of the mirror activating sounding moments later. The blond turned back to Tifa, "So… What now? We have to stay here, so…"

She giggled, "Do you even need to _ask_?"

A devilish grin twisted at his lips, "Damn." He twisted around to straddle her, leaning in to kiss her while working the buttons of her shirt. Pulling back for a moment, he mumbled against her lips, "You know… It probably won't take them long with the council…"

"Then why are we still talking?"

A smirk was his only reply.

* * *

**A/N**: Sooo… How'd I do for my first time? (Geez, makes me sound like I'm the one hitting the sack…)

I couldn't resist giving Aerith a dirty mouth. How many of you guys have ever heard (or read) her say 'fuck' before? And I think that's the first time I used 'fuck' in its proper context… Huh. What d'you know?

Oh, and in case you're wondering, Aerith's 'language' is all Latin… Iurgium and Nundinae literally mean 'Strife' and 'Fair,' respectively. And 'Seracor' is a direct translation of 'Lockheart'… 'Sera' meaning 'Lock' and 'Cor' meaning 'Heart.' I apologize if I got that wrong. I just used a Latin-English dictionary. Feel free to correct me on that. I'll let you wonder about everything else she says… If you ask, though, I'll tell.


	3. Ties of Separation

**Ties of Separation**

**Rating**: M  
**Genre**: Romance/Hurt/Comfort  
**Inspired By**: Broken  
**Artist**: Seether & Amy Lee  
**Requested By**: SorrowsFlower  
**Summary**: They met by chance. They loved by fate. They succumbed to the blessing, only to discover it was truly a curse.  
**Special Thanks to:** vLuna again for editing.  
**A/N**: Okey-dokey… BS&T seemed to go over well, so here's installment number two. This was written for SorrowsFlower, and because I know you're such a Squinoa fan, the beginning is just for you. Actually, I just had the general idea in mind and that's how it came out… Hope you like the end result!

* * *

Cloud stood at the edge of the room, hidden in the shadow of a large pillar. He raised his glass to his lips, feeling the bubbly champagne slide down his throat and wished it were something much, much stronger. At this moment in time, he hated his blood ties more than ever. His older brother had recently won the senatorial election, giving him more power and Cloud more obligation to attend these parties. He sighed, _'Damn you, Rufus…'_

"Um, excuse me?"

He turned on his heel, finding himself face-to-face with a petite young brunette. Her beautiful eyes shone like rubies and her lips were painted to match. The sequins in her crimson gown shimmered as she leaned over slightly to look at him with her hands clasped behind her back. He blinked, coming back to his senses, and replied, "Yes?"

"Well, I'm just here with my best friend, but she came with her boyfriend and she dragged me with her because she thought her boyfriend would be busy, but he's not, so…"

He took a drink, feeling the need for alcohol more strongly now, "What's your point?"

"Oh! Well, I was looking for someone to dance with… I don't suppose you want to?"

He shook his head with the briefest of smiles, "Sorry, I don't dance."

"Really?"

"Really."

She reached out, taking his hand, "It's not too late to learn!"

She started walking and pulled him with her while he complained, "Hey! What the-?"

"Come on! It's easy!"

She finally stopped when she found an open space on the dance floor and turned to face him, taking his glass from his hand and set it on a passing waiter's tray. Ignoring his protests, she took one of his hands in hers and placed it on her hip. She held his other and set her free hand on his shoulder, stepping in tune to the music. He sighed and glanced down at their feet to find a rhythm between their movements before raising his eyes back to her surprised ones.

She cocked a perfectly arched eyebrow, "I thought you said you couldn't dance?"

"I said I _didn't_ dance… Not that I couldn't."

"Oh… You're a sneaky bugger that way, huh?"

He shrugged slightly, hating how his suit stiffened his movements, "Guess so."

She smiled, unintentionally stealing his breath in a sudden exhale. Shaking her head, she giggled, "You're a weirdo. Oh!" She looked down, shame burning her cheeks red, "I never introduced myself, did I? I'm Tifa."

He nodded, "Cloud."

"Nice to meet you, Cloud!"

"Yeah."

They danced together for a few more songs until his feet started to hurt in his polished dress shoes. He ignored the pain, feeling the urge to stay with her for reasons he couldn't explain. He could've sworn he'd heard some of his brother's associates snickering at him and he was suddenly thankful none of his own coworkers were there.

A slow song started to play, so she took a half-step closer and moved her arms up to settle both on his shoulders to dance to the music. Their noses were almost touching as he moved his now-free hand to settle on her hip. Before he knew what was happening, he found himself tipping his chin slightly to catch her lips with his.

The room melted around him, his mind disappearing to the brink of eternity. His lips burned, the heat of her mouth under his controlling his body. The only conscious thought in his mind was how wonderful she tasted at that very moment. Their swaying slowed to a stop as his hands felt their way up to the bare skin of her back. Her arms wound up further, pulling him closer to her.

She parted her lips for him as his tongue flickered softly against them, dipping in to explore her mouth. Their kiss deepened, previously unknown passion exploding in a single moment. He pulled her to him as tightly as he could, feeling the need to have her near and suddenly afraid she might leave him at any given time. She pressed as close as she could, similar feelings consuming her heart as well.

As they pulled apart hesitantly, he kept his eyes closed to keep the dream from shattering under reality. He could hear the shyness in her voice as she whispered against his lips, "Cloud…?"

Finally, he let his eyes open and looked into hers, the emotions swirling within setting his heart aflutter from the mere sight. Swallowing, he said nothing and simply leaned down to kiss her again. She obliged without complaint, tightening her grip on him once more.

She pulled back slowly and ran her hands down his arms to link their fingers together. Taking a step backwards, away from the dance floor, she smiled timidly and tugged softly on his tight grip.

Relieved that she wasn't leaving him alone, he followed her lead, shifting to walk beside her and hold only one hand. She led him out of the ballroom and out into the hotel proper. Pressing the button for the elevator, he felt something in his stomach tighten at the thought of what she might have in mind. The doors parted and she walked in, pulling him in with her.

Cloud decided to take the initiative and pressed her to the wall, forcefully dominating her lips. His trousers tightened and he deepened the kiss, driven by the animalistic needs forming in the depths of his being.

She raised her hands to twine them in his hair, her eyes half-lidded from anticipation. The bell chimed and the doors parted to show the seventh floor of the grand hotel. He pulled back slowly to whisper, "You here alone…?"

Her head shook slightly, "My friend and I are sharing, but I doubt she'll be coming in tonight…"

"Let's not take the chance." He extended a fist, slamming the button for the twelfth floor with a backswing, "I'm here alone…"

She moaned pathetically underneath his commanding presence, "Mm…"

As the elevator doors parted again, he pulled back just enough to bend down and scoop her up bridal-style. She wrapped her arms over his shoulders and tucked her head into the crook of his neck, murmuring sentences made incoherent from a mixture of undeniable expectation and her consumption of champagne.

He reached the door labeled '1231' and paused, still holding her in his arms. Softly nuzzling her hair with his chin, he mumbled, "Right breast pocket."

She looked up, surprised that he spoke, and caught on. Slipping her hand inside his coat, she fished around for a minute and came out with the keycard for the door. She slipped it through the slot and turned the knob, pushing the heavy wood aside so they could enter.

He walked inside, kicking the door shut behind him, and set her gently on the king-sized bed before crawling up next to her. She pulled herself to her knees, slowly pushing the expensive black jacket from his shoulders and let it drop to the floor. His mouth found hers once again and his fingers pulled at the knot behind her neck, loosening her gown from her shoulders. The black tie around his neck slipped away as her lithe hands pulled the previously twisted fabric from its resting place and quickly moved to the buttons of his charcoal-grey shirt.

Her blood-red dress slipped down her shapely body as his hands guided it to rest at her hips, leaving her breasts exposed. He broke his lips away from hers and ran his tongue along her jaw before moving to press light kisses down her neck. Her hands pushed at his now-open shirt, attempting to get it off but found it stuck at his wrists where the buttons were still done.

He raised his arms to let her free the buttons and, once his shirt was free from one wrist, moved it to release the buckle of his belt. He returned his mouth to the task of exploring her torso and set his now-free hands on her hips, letting her unfasten his slacks. Pressing soft kisses to her collarbone, he slowly moved downwards to capture her left nipple between his lips. He sucked on it, repeatedly flicking his tongue over the hardened pearl.

She inhaled and puffed her chest out to give him a better vantage point, his actions eliciting soft moans from deep in the back of her throat**.** He moved back up to her lips, pressing forward and pushing her over. She wound up on her back, dress falling sloppily at her hips and her messed-up hair falling every which way.

He pulled back after a brief second and reached down to pull her gown from her legs. Despite her hazy ecstasy, she still had enough sense left to feel slightly abashed while naked in front of a stranger. He threw her dress away, not caring where it ended up, and moved to lower his slacks before tossing those to the side as well. Climbing back above her, he bent down to kiss her and slowly, almost hesitantly, brought his left hand up to cup her breast. She gasped against his lips but offered no other form of disconcertion. He took it one step further, gently moving his palm to hold her more fully.

Fueled by the hunger growing deep within her, she slid her hands down to tuck her fingers into the waistband of his boxers and gave them a tug. She moaned pathetically and he took it as a cue, moving his palm from her breast and grabbing a fistful of his black boxers and pulled them down. Kicking them off the rest of the way, he gently touched his fingertips to her stomach and caressed the elastic band of her panties. Unable to take it anymore, she hooked her fingers into the waistband and pulled the fabric down, leaving herself bare for the blond to take.

He licked his dry lips and glanced down briefly to take in the sight of her before bringing his gaze back to lock onto hers. Her eyes were half-lidded in anticipation, her breathing heavy as she raised her hands to his face, guiding his lips back to hers. He made no movement to argue and raised his right hand to pull as many pins from her hair as he could find, carelessly tossing them to the side. Satisfied, he pulled her long hair out to twist his hand in the dark tresses.

She moaned, the anticipation building to an unbearable level, and reached down to touch him in an effort to get him to want her as much as she wanted him. He groaned at her feather-light feel and shifted to nudge her legs apart so he could kneel between them. Balancing on his palms, he stroked his thumbs on the soft skin of her sides and scratched gently with his fingernails. She looked up at him, tipping her chin to accept his lips as they moved in on hers.

He pulled back to situate himself up to her before looking her in the eye. Leaning back down, he nibbled at her lip while slowly shifting his hips back and forth to slide into her waiting womanhood. She released a moan of pleasure at the contact, tightening her grip in his blond spikes. His lips slowly moved from hers to gently kiss her cheek and temple.

Her body moved of its own accord, her fingernails grazing over the back of his shoulders. Missing the feel of his lips on hers, she turned her chin slightly to catch his mouth with her own again. She groaned under the pressure of his hips pressing her into the clean-scented fabric beneath her.

He tugged on her hair, pulling her head back to bury his face in her neck and kiss her collarbone. Feeling his release draw near, he pressed into her harder; whispering, "C'mon… Come with me…"

She bit down on her lip to keep her screams in check as the speed of his thrusts increased. Scraping her fingernails over his back, she slid her hands down to grasp onto his shoulders to try to keep her balance.

A gasp passed through her lips as her moment of release came. Cloud gave up fighting his and let himself go, burying his face in her neck to muffle his screams. Since she didn't have any such barrier, her cry of pleasure echoed loudly through the luxury hotel room.

Once silence took reign, their bodies slumped down together from an overdose of ecstasy. Slowly, her hands found his face and brought him up to meet her lips.

He accepted her kiss, too consumed in the pleasure to realize this romance might not last.

***

Cloud Strife woke up in his hotel room the morning following his brother's inaugural ball. He glanced around slowly, wondering for only a second why he went to bed naked before remembering the beautiful brunette from the night before. His eyes flew through the single room, searching for her. Finding no trace save a few hair pins still scattered on the floor, he sighed with disappointment, _'Damn it… I really walked into that one…'_ He threw his covers off and stood, stretching his muscles out for a brief moment.

After taking a quick shower to clean himself off, he walked back into the main room of the suite and dressed in baggy jeans and a t-shirt. He started gathering the pieces of his discarded suit off the floor and threw them in his laundry sack. Stopping by the single, small table in the room, he picked his cell phone up from where he'd left it to charge during the party and cocked his head at the sight of white caught inside of it. He flipped the phone open and caught the piece of paper as it started to fall. Scrawled out on it in clean penmanship was, simply, a name and ten digits.

His heart skipped a beat as it registered in his mind, _'Tifa… Your phone number? You… Why…?'_

***

Tifa Lockhart sat inside the classroom, facing the window and staring blankly at her cell phone. She absently flipped through the menus, wishing it would ring already. A young female voice piped up behind her, "Geez, Tifa, how long are you gonna sit in this slump?"

Tifa sighed, "As long as it takes, Yuffie."

Yuffie walked over and sat down at the desk in front of her, sitting backwards to face her friend, "You've been down for almost three weeks now…" She scrunched her brow, a new thought occurring to her, "Wait… That was when the party was… Did you meet someone there? Or did something happen to you? Oh, wait! You got laid, didn't you!?"

Tifa jumped to her feet to hush her friend, "Yuffie!" She glanced around at the few other students who had arrived for class early, casting apologetic glances in their directions. Sighing, she turned back to explain to Yuffie in a hushed whisper, "Yes, I met someone. Yes, something happened between us. And yes, he and I had sex. But he… he hasn't called me."

The Wutaian girl gave her a skeptical look, "Did you give him your number?"

She nodded, "I left it inside his phone… I snuck out first thing… I felt… embarrassed to be there… Like I shouldn't have been there. All I knew was his first name…"

Yuffie blinked, "Wow. You really let it loose. Sex without knowing his last name? That's new for you. You don't usually go that far without knowing the guy's birthday, height, weight, hobbies, mother's maiden name, place of birth…"

"Yuffie?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

She stuck her tongue out briefly and snapped back to the issue at hand, "So… What was his name? Reno might now him… He is Senator Shinra's bodyguard. He probably knew most of the people there."

"Mm… I'll wait a little longer to see if he calls. If he doesn't, I'll know he was just in it for a one-night stand and leave it at that."

"Suit yourself."

***

Cloud leaned back against his desk, staring blankly at his cell phone and clenching the now-crumpled piece of paper in his other hand. A knock sounded at his door and he quickly stuffed the slip in his pocket before looking up and calling, "Come in."

The door opened and a tall man with black hair walked in, "Hey, Cloud, you got a call from your mother… Jessie's got her now, but you might want to save her soon."

He shoved himself off his desk, "Is that it?"

"No, there's an order for lunch flying around. Want anything?"

"Nah," he walked past the other man and out to the hall of the cement building before heading towards the lobby. Coming through the door, he paused at the desk with a woman seated behind it. She held a phone to her ear and struggled to get a word in to the person at the other end. Cloud held his hand out to the reddish-brown haired girl, "Here, Jessie, let me get that."

A relieved smile crossed her face, "Alright, Ms. Shinra. Here's Cloud. Yes, have a good day."

Cloud took the receiver from the woman and promptly set in the cradle, ending the call. He shrugged at Jessie's bewildered look, "She should expect it by now."

The secretary nodded, "Oh, and Mr. Tuesti called… He wanted me to thank you for your work."

"Yeah, whatever. I got paid. If he calls back, tell him I was only glad to help."

"Yessir."

"Oh, and if Zack has anything to say, my office is closed and locked until tomorrow."

"Heading home early?"

"Yeah. I need to get away from this hellhole."

"Understandable. Should I hold your calls, transfer them to your cell, or pass them on?"

"Whatever works for the client. If they need it done immediately, send 'em to someone else. If they can wait, hold them for tomorrow."

"Alright. Don't call your cell, though?"

"For anything. I just want to be alone today…"

"And every other day."

"What was that?"

"Nothing…I'll hold your calls, then."

"See you tomorrow, then." He walked back to his office, not bothering to wait for a reply. Pushing the door open, he grabbed his all-purpose duffel that carried most of his files and other work needs. He snatched his keys from his desk drawer and closed and locked the door before heading back to the entrance of the building. On his way past Zack's office, he found the dark-haired man from earlier sitting on his desk with a scantily-clad brunette kneeling over his lap.

Suddenly, Cloud remembered why he hated his job. It was worth the pay and independence, though. He made his way out to the small parking lot and saddled into his motorcycle before taking off towards home.

He parked, made his way upstairs to the third floor, and unlocked the door to his dumpy apartment. Walking in, he dropped his duffel on the floor and headed back to his bedroom. He sat down on his bed and pulled Tifa's phone number from his pocket, _'Should I…? I mean, she wouldn't have left her number if she didn't want me to call her, right?'_

The phone started to vibrate in his palm, sending him through the roof at the unexpected pulse in his hand. He took a breath to calm his racing heart and flipped it open, "Hello?"

A masculine voice on the other end spoke, "Hello, Cloud."

"Hello, Senator Shinra. What can I do for you?"

"Cloud, I'm calling as your brother, not prospective employer."

"If that's the case, Rufus, then I really don't have anything to say."

He sighed, "Cloud… I really wish we could be closer… We're brothers for Minerva's sake!"

"Half-brothers, Rufus. In case you don't remember, I'm your bastard brother."

"Don't talk like that. My father may not have been too keen, but it doesn't bother me that we only share half our blood."

"I'm ashamed of the half we do share."

"I… see…"

"More so because of our mother than you, but your career doesn't help in my judgment."

"Just as yours doesn't settle well with me."

"I wasn't going to accept your father's forcefully removed money… I had to find some way to support myself."

"When was the last time you talked to Mom?"

"I hung up on her this morning, but actually talking…? Lessee… Had to have been almost a year now."

"Mm. Why do you hate us so much?"

"You already know the answer to that. My father's dead, my mother's a bitch, and my half-brother and his father are fucking politicians who'd stab each other in the back if it benefitted your careers."

"My, what… colorful… ways you have to describe us. Well, I won't keep any of your time. Goodbye, Cloud."

"Yeah, bye." He snapped his phone shut, _'Damn it… So much for calling Tifa… Damn Rufus ruined my mood. No way can I talk to her like this.'_

He sighed and slid his phone in his pocket, reaching in his nightstand drawer to pull a pack of cigarettes from inside before standing. Making his way out to the rickety balcony, he slid one between his lips and pulled a lighter from his pocket to light it. He took a long drag, exhaling and watching the smoke dissipate in the wind.

***

Tifa walked down the steps to her apartment building with a sad smile while pretending to listen to her best friend-slash-roommate drone on about how some girl in her class was flirting with some guy because she thought his glasses were sexy. The brunette tugged on her backpack straps and sighed, "It's been a month now… He… probably isn't going to call, is he?"

Yuffie stopped mid-sentence, hands held up for visual aid in her story, and looked at her friend, "Teef… You're still hung up on that guy?"

She nodded slowly, "Yeah… I can't explain it, Yuff. One minute I'm asking a random guy to dance and the next he's the only man I'll ever want. It's just… surreal."

"Mm… That is pretty weird… But I gotta go drop my paper off with my teacher. I'll catch up with you in a bit!"

Tifa hummed her acknowledgement before watching the girl dart off down the street. She sighed and turned to her left towards the restaurant where she was meeting up with Yuffie and her boyfriend for lunch.

She walked inside the homey place to find the sleazy redhead had already arrived. He nodded a greeting, "Hey, Teefie. Where's Yuffie?"

"She's your girlfriend."

"She's your roommate."

"She had to drop a paper off and then she'll be right here. I guess we could get a table and wait for her there."

He shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

Tifa walked over to the podium and addressed the waiter, "Hi, table for three, please. A friend's going to be joining us in a minute."

The waiter nodded, "Right this way." He picked up three menus and led Tifa and Reno towards a booth seat near the center of the building with a clear view of the door. Tifa slid in on the side facing the exit and Reno sat opposite, crumpling his already mussed-up suit in the process.

The brunette looked at the menu and placed an order for a club sandwich while waiting for her friend to arrive. The door to the nearly-empty restaurant pushed open and Tifa sighed in relief, _'It's about time!'_

Instead of the short, raven-haired girl she'd been expecting, a blond, clearly masculine figure walked inside. Tifa felt her heart freeze in her chest and glanced briefly at Reno to find he'd fallen asleep in the bench. She stood and made her way to the entrance, tapping the blond man on the shoulder to alert him of her presence.

He turned quickly, grasping her hand in his and twisting it painfully. She let out a yelp of surprise and he let go, shock consuming his features at the sight of her. His mouth hung open numbly and his eyes showed a deep longing as he recognized her.

She rubbed her wrist where it hurt and smiled slightly, "I… I was hoping to see you again."

He managed a few words, "Tifa, I… I…"

"I was hoping you'd call."

He looked down at her wrist, and, with a double purpose, stated, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay… I mean, we really don't know each other."

"No, it's not okay. I should have called. I wanted to."

They remained silent for a long moment before he murmured, almost too softly to hear, "Does he treat you right?"

She looked up, surprise in her eyes, "What?"

He nodded toward where Reno sat, "Does he treat you well?"

Her brow furrowed in confusion and, finally, she released a gasp of understanding, "Oh! No, Cloud, Reno's not… He's the boyfriend of my best friend I told you about… You know, my reason for being at the party… My friend is supposed to meet us here for lunch."

His cheeks flushed a slight shade of red at his mistake and he slowly asked, just to make sure, "And there's no one else?"

She touched a finger to her chin, the devilish thought of making him suffer for taking so long to contact her purging her mind. "Maybe. I have had my eye on this one guy…"

His face seemed to pale to a ghostly-white color as he mumbled, "I understand…"

"He's charming, handsome, strong, quiet, and, Goddess Minerva, does he know how to please a woman…"

He turned starting to leave, "I see. I'll get out of your way, then."

Suppressing a giggle at his reaction, she reached out to catch his shoulder, "Cloud, wait! I was talking about you."

He turned back, blue eyes glowing with a fierce passion, "Seriously?"

She nodded, "Yeah. Um, let me grab my bag and we can talk somewhere else, okay?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure. I'll be outside."

She smiled timidly and licked her lower lip, watching the way his jaw tightened and his shoulders shuddered at the innocent motion before turning back to the table where the sleeping Reno sat. Walking over, she reached for her backpack on the bench she had previously occupied and jumped to next week when he spoke, "So… What're you doing with Shinra's brother?"

She looked at him, "What?"

"That's Cloud Strife, isn't it? Rufus Shinra's brother?"

"I…" she paused, unsure of how to reply. Deciding he couldn't look like and share the same first name as the man in question, she finished, "Yeah. We just met at the inaugural ball and now we're going to get lunch. Could you apologize to Yuffie for me?"

He shrugged slightly, "Sure. Three's a crowd, anyway."

Tifa rolled her eyes and set down the gil to pay for her sandwich before shouldering her bag and walking back to where Cloud waited just outside the door. He stood with a cigarette between his lips and cupped one hand around the flame of a lighter as he raised it to ignite the tobacco. Looking up at the sound of her footsteps, he flipped the lid of the lighter closed and tucked it into his jacket pocket and looked up at her. She raised an eyebrow, "You smoke…?"

He shrugged and turned his head to exhale away from her face, "I don't, usually. Just when I'm really stressed."

"You're stressed now?"

"In more ways than one."

She took a moment to process this and shook her head, "So, um, where do you want to go?"

***

Cloud walked side-by-side with her through the park, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a cigarette. She nervously rubbed her thumbs on the straps to her backpack, looking everywhere but at his face. Finally, she stopped mid-step and turned to face him when he paused beside her as she spoke, "Cloud… I know this is going to sound cheesy; and I know it's going to be pretty cliché; but I don't honestly have another way to say it." She took a breath, "Cloud, from the moment we started dancing, I felt… attached to you. Like I wanted to be with you at all times and there was no way I was ever going to function properly without you and I needed to feel your lips on mine and I… I…"

He discarded his cigarette, tossing it to the paved path and jamming a boot down on it to extinguish it before turning to her. Gently reaching up to stroke her face, he whispered softly, "Tifa, I… Before I can let this go any further, you need to know. You need to know what it is I do for a living."

She raised her gaze back to his, slowly scanning the determination set within, "What is it, Cloud?"

"I… I'm a professional jack-of-all-trades. I'll do anything for the right price. Granted, the tougher jobs cost more, but still, I…" He ran a hand through his hair, "I've done so many things. I've cooked, cleaned, delivered packages, delivered a baby -though that wasn't job-related-, seduced, dated, had sex, fought, killed, fooled, used, gambled… I've done so many things… Hell, I even dressed up as a woman one time. Not my proudest moment, but I have done it."

She nodded slowly and, of all the questions she could have asked, asked one he wasn't expecting, "Were you hired to make love to me?"

His eyes widened briefly, "Is there someone who wants you fooled?"

"Answer the question, Cloud. Please."

He sighed, "Honestly, I can tell you everything you want to hear; say I wasn't and that I was just caught by time and circumstance like you were, but… would it really mean anything? I've told you what I've done and what I'm willing to do. Can you really trust me so easily? I think… the best way is for me to show you why I'm really here with you."

"You know… That statement is almost enough to make me trust your reasoning and know that you weren't hired."

"I'm glad. I'll keep proving to you what I mean, though. Because, you know, what you said you felt… The instant attraction? I felt it, too. I wanted you, Tifa. I still do."

She looked up towards the thick grey clouds, "It looks like it's going to rain…" She turned back to him, "Cloud, I wanted you, too. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have… gone so far."

He met her gaze and held it, "You mean… sex?"

A blush lit up her features briefly, "Yeah. I… I've never done that before…"

"You were… a virgin?" He raised an eyebrow. She seemed like she had known full well what she was doing.

Her blush deepened, "No! I mean, I…" She crossed her arms over her chest protectively and averted her gaze, "I've… 'done it' before, just never so quickly… I think the earliest I've slept with a man was about six weeks after we'd started dating. And he and I were friends before that, so…"

He nodded, "I understand… That would be the ideal way to be. Unfortunately, my job doesn't allow for pleasantries." He closed his eyes, fighting his inner need to kiss her, and pulled another cigarette from his coat pocket.

She watched him light it, "I thought you said you only smoked when you were stressed?"

He inhaled the flavor of smoke, "I do."

"That's your third cigarette since we started talking."

"I'm really stressed right now."

"Is… Is this a bad time?"

He turned slowly to face her, "You're the reason I'm stressed."

Her eyes widened marginally, "I… what…?"

He ran a hand through his golden spikes, "I'm no stranger to women, romance, or even sex. I've had serious relationships and some that were for money. In spite of all this, I've… I've never felt like this before. What I felt that night… It was overwhelming… I was… scared."

She hesitantly reached out to caress his cheek, "Scared? Of what?"

He leaned into her touch, "Scared of tasting that sweet pleasure and then losing it."

"I understand… Cloud, I… I wasn't scared until the next morning… When it really hit me… I dressed and ran as quickly as I could, pausing just long enough to leave my phone number on a gut feeling."

"I'm glad you did."

She looked back up at him, "What…?"

"I'm glad you left your number… It… made me feel that I wasn't alone… That you had felt what I had."

"I kept hoping you'd call… I stared at my phone constantly, waiting for it to ring. Eight guys asked me out in the time since we met. I turned all of them down, hoping and hoping that you'd call."

"I'm sorry I didn't… If there's one thing to hate about me -aside from my job-, it's my pride. I couldn't bring myself to think I'd really been blessed by meeting you…"

Fat droplets of rain started to fall slowly, causing her to hold her hands over her head to act as a shield. She turned to look at him again, "Maybe we should go somewhere dry… I think there's a bus stop on the next block."

He nodded, shrugging his black jacket off and holding it out to her, "Here. You look like you need it more."

She cast a glance at his arms, left uncovered by his sleeveless turtleneck, "You're not cold?"

He shook his head, "Maybe a little, but I'd never forgive myself if you caught cold because of me."

She smiled despite herself and took off her backpack to pull his denim jacket over her t-shirt. They walked in silence towards the bus stop and she couldn't help but lean down a little to take in the scent on his coat. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of smoke before raising her chin again. Glancing at her watch, she sighed, "Looks like we missed the one o'clock bus… There won't be another until one-twenty."

He raised an eyebrow, "Ride the bus often?"

She nodded, "Yeah. What about you?"

"I usually ride my bike. It's still at my apartment, though. I need to check the transmission… Doesn't sound right."

She blinked, and then nodded as realization hit her, "Ohh… It's a motorcycle?"

He held one hand up to shield his cigarette from the steady downpour, "Yeah."

She reached up, slowly prying his soggy cigarette from his mouth and dropping it to the ground. Stamping on it to make sure it was out, she asked with a smile, "Do you still feel stressed?"

He parted his lips to speak, but forgot what he was going to say at the sight of the thin smile on her lips. Her hair was soaked by this point and fell in loose strands down her shoulders; one portion falling to stick to her chest in the rain. He felt a different stress start to grow at the sight and, instead of replying, bent over her to catch her lips.

She greeted him excitedly by throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him close to her. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist and tugged her body to fit against his even more so. His mind exploded into a thousand differently colored sparks at the feel of her mouth under his. Her lips were soft and gentle, tasting like cherry beneath the smoky haze caught in his throat. She didn't seem to care about the horrible taste left by his disgusting habit; rather, she pushed further, forcing her tongue past his lips to taste all of him in an exploratory plunge.

The rain continued to plummet downwards, pelting the uncaring lovers with everything nature had. A loud screech sounded in the back of Cloud's mind. He chose to ignore it, the feel of Tifa's fingers twining in his soaking wet hair keeping him close.

A gruff voice sounded, "Hey! You kids gettin' on?"

With that, Cloud pulled back slightly and glanced up to find the bus had arrived. He turned back to the woman in his arms and touched his forehead to hers, letting a suppressed chuckle slip past his lips. She looked up at him, "Cloud…" Finally, she gave in and started to laugh, wondering how they must look, standing in the rain, him without sleeves and her in his jacket, arms around each other outside the glass booth for the bus stop, and drenched from the continuing downpour. She turned her head but kept her eyes on Cloud while addressing the bus driver, "Yeah, we're coming."

Cloud nodded and let go of her, gently nudging her forward and following after her. She stepped on the bus and pulled a card from her wallet, holding it up for the bus driver to see. The blond behind her dug a few gil from his pocket and slid it into the coin slot before walking back to sit with Tifa near the rear of the bus. He sat down next to her and carefully set his arm across her shoulders. When she nuzzled into his side, he tightened his hold on her and pulled her close.

He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "You're a student?"

She looked up, "Huh?"

"You just used your ID to get a free ride, right?"

She laughed, ringing her hair out on the floor, "Yeah. It's just habit for me anymore. I just go on the bus and show my card. I didn't even realize…"

"Were you keeping it a secret from me?"

"No, not really. It just didn't cross my mind to mention it. I'm a senior now."

"Mm… I never went to college…"

"How come?"

"I didn't want to use my stepfather's money to get there."

"You could have used loans, you know. That's what I'm doing."

"Maybe I'll give it a shot. We'll see."

They sat in companionable silence for awhile, watching the scenery pass out the window before Tifa spoke with a hint of uncertainty, "So…"

He looked at her, "What?"

"You're… Rufus Shinra's brother, aren't you?"

"Where'd you hear that?"

"My friend works for Shinra… He didn't say anything more, but… Is it true?"

He nodded, "Yeah… Well, kind of. Rufus and I are half-brothers. I… don't really keep in touch with my family anymore."

"Why not?"

"Well," he sighed, "My mom and Rufus's dad met and got married… Rufus was born… A little bit later, Rufus's father found out our mom was having an affair. It went public and the poor guy had no idea she was married, let alone President Shinra's wife. My mother found out she was pregnant with me… My dad committed suicide and my mother tried to get her ex-husband to give her child support for me, claiming that I was his. There was no way I could've been, but still… Eventually, she went through court and got a hold of some of his money. The second I was ten, I started doing odd jobs around the neighborhood to earn my own money, got a job at sixteen, and moved into my own place at eighteen. I've refused my mother's calls and her money ever since."

Tifa blinked, "Wow… That's… extreme…"

"Yeah… I've never felt really attached to _anyone_ until I met you. This feeling is… new to me."

She thought about it for a moment, "Is it a good feeling?"

He nodded, "Definitely."

***

Cloud parked his motorcycle, Fenrir, in the parking lot outside the apartment complex and examined the building briefly. He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the afternoon sun and sighed, _'It's been two and a half months since Tifa and I started dating… I really shouldn't be here… But I… I need her…'_ He shrugged and headed for the door, slipping his keys in his pocket along the way. Walking inside, he paused, _'Let's see… She said she was in number seven, right? I think she said that was upstairs…'_

He walked up the narrow stairwell and found the green door marked with a golden seven attached. Raising his fist, he hesitated before rapping his knuckles against it. The door cracked open and Tifa stood inside, a smile spreading on her face at the sight of her guest, "What brings you here?"

He leaned a hand on the doorframe and sighed, "I just… I had a really hard day and I wanted to see you…"

Her smile widened as she pulled the door open for him to walk inside, "Come on in."

He walked in and took a quick look around her apartment, "It's nice."

She locked the door and looked up, "Huh?"

"Your place. It's nice. Nicer than mine, anyway."

"Well, ever since Yuffie moved in with Reno, it's been a lot cleaner. I'm glad you like it."

"It's very-" he turned back to her and froze when he saw she was wearing an oversized t-shirt and mini-boxers. Her dark shorts left her pale legs with the appearance that they ran on forever. The lack of socks helped with that fantasy. Her loose shirt left it very clear that she wasn't wearing a bra.

She smiled and shyly clasped her hands behind her back, "Come on. I've got dinner cooking in the kitchen…"

She turned and started walking for said room with an unintentional sway to her hips. He closed his eyes, attempting to resist his instincts, and followed her. Unable to take it any longer, he took a wide step to close the gap between them and set his hand on her hip, gently pulling her close to him. She released a small gasp of surprise at his touch, but adjusted quickly and turned to face him. Twining her hands in his hair, she accepted his kiss as he leaned into her.

He surged forward, running her against the wall and attacking her mouth furiously. She tightened her hold on his shoulders and arched her back to lean into his body. His right hand tugged her hair scrunchie free and tossed it to the ground, leaving her silken tresses free for his fingers to twist into. His left hand teased her hip affectionately before slipping under her shirt and stroking her side softly. She moaned pathetically as his grip shifted to hold her breast, slowly moving his thumb over her tightening nipple. Her hands gradually drifted downward to loosen his belt, tugging the leather free from the metal hook.

Reality snapped back into his brain in an instant and he pulled away. She looked up at him, gaze clearly stating, _'Why did you stop?'_

He shook his head slowly, removing his hand from under her shirt and setting one to rest on either side of her waist. Touching his forehead to hers, he whispered, "Not like this… We haven't… Not since that first night… I want our first night as a couple to be something to remember… Not some random romp in your kitchen."

"Mm…" She nodded slowly, "Tonight? Will you make love to me tonight?"

"Tifa…"

"Please, Cloud? I think we've held back long enough…"

"Tifa, are you sure? I… I'm glad we took the time to get to know each other better, but are you sure we've taken enough? I don't want to- I _can't_ ruin our relationship by moving too fast…"

She leaned forward slightly to press a quick, chaste kiss to his lips, "Cloud…"

"You mean too much to me… I can't lose you…"

"Cloud… You know…"

"Hm? What is it, Tifa?"

She settled her arms around his shoulders again and nuzzled her nose against his, "I love you."

His eyes widened considerably, "Tifa…?"

She pulled back to smile softly at him, "What else could this feeling be?"

He returned her smile, "Hm, you got me there. I…"

She pressed a finger to his lips, "Don't feel obligated to say it back. Say it when you're ready, okay? When you're _sure_ you're ready."

"Tifa… You are amazing. How the hell did I get so damn lucky?"

She giggled, "I don't know… But I'm glad you did."

He leaned down to kiss her, "So am I…"

"Cloud…?"

"Hm?

"I think my soup is burning…"

He laughed, "Let it burn. This is more important."

She pulled him closer, "Yeah…"

"But I am pretty hungry…"

She smiled seductively, "For what…?"

He smirked, "That's for dessert. We need to get some real food, first."

"I know…"

"Yeah…"

"You sure?"

"Tifa…"

"Cloud…"

"Fine. I'll just have to take you somewhere to eat. Go get dressed."

"Oh, fine." She wandered off towards her bedroom but opted to leave the door open, "So, where are we going?"

He walked over and dropped down into the couch, leaving a clear view to her room. She was around the corner, but he occasionally caught sight of her arm as she dressed. He called back, "It's a surprise."

"You don't know, do you?"

"I'm thinking."

"Mm-hm…"

"What? It was a spontaneous decision. Don't blame me."

"I never said I did."

"You implied it."

She walked out of her bedroom in cutoff shorts and a halter top, "Okay, I'm ready. Where to?"

He closed his eyes in frustration and pointed towards her bedroom door, "Get back in there."

She looked down at her outfit, "I'll wear what I want."

He stood, making his way over to her, and let out a low growl, "You'll wear _nothing_."

She smirked and threw her arms around his shoulders, "So, that's how it's going to be, eh?"

Slipping his arms around her waist, he lifted her off the floor and carried her to the bedroom, "Damn right."

She kissed his neck, "Now you know not to mess with me… I _always_ get what I want."

"It doesn't help that I'm a sucker for everything you are, either."

She giggled, "It's good for me."

"You're too cute to be this devious."

"It should be a crime."

* * *

Okay, so it doesn't really fit with the lyrics to 'Broken' that well, but once I thought of the song, this is what I got. It fits well enough, though. Right? Right?

Oh, yeah! I have an idea, but I want to know what you guys think. Due to the awesome response BS&T got, I was thinking of starting a series to follow it up. What do you think? Oh, and a Cloud-POV is already in the works. I'll post it in this folder once it's done. And, yes, I'm well aware that I have waaaaayyy too many series' started.

One other thing! I have a poll up for my psychology class and I need votes! It's completely anonymous, so please help me!

Thanks for reading and please review! They make me sooo happy!

-Valk


	4. BS&T: The Cloud Directive

**Blood, Sweat, and Tears: The Cloud Directive**

**Rating:** High T  
**Genre: **Supernatural/ Romance  
**Inspired By:** Amaranth -/- Wish I Had an Angel  
**Artist:** Both by Nightwish  
**Summary:** Cloud is a vampire failing in all his lessons. He receives the opportunity to get hands-on training in the human realm and meets the mortal girl who would change his immortal life forever.  
**A/N:** I'm alive!!! Who would've thought?

This is a sequel/alternate POV to the first chapter in this folder, Blood, Sweat, and Tears. I would recommend reading that one first. Also, I think this is first time I ran out of room with a chapter name... Did you there was a limit?

I just had too much fun writing this one. And, as of now, I love 'Wish I Had an Angel.' Again, I just used a Latin dictionary, so if some of this is off, please don't hate me. And while Demonegg was kind enough to point out that 'Seracor' was incorrect, I left it the same to avoid confusion. Thanks again for pointing that out. I'll come back and edit later, so please excuse any errors...

Now then, on with the story! I hope I didn't give away too much for the series…

* * *

Flame. Nothing but those frickin' flames. Day… night… It makes no difference to me. It doesn't make a difference to anyone in Orcus. This hell is exactly that. Those mortals have no idea what they're missing… At least they're smart enough to complain about their realm day in and day out.

"Iurgium!"

Hm? What's this? Aerith is never this excitable… My gaze raises and spies the sight of her brown hair approaching. I reply, "Yes?" Hn. My blond hair shifts back forth as I give my head a shake. Mental note: talk more often. Maybe my voice wouldn't sound so hoarse then.

She laughed. "Iurgium, we have new orders."

"Oh?"

"Mm-hm… We're going to… the mortal realm!"

My eyes roll automatically. "Yippee. I'm so happy."

"Oh…" She held a small box out for me to take. "You'll need this."

Hm? What could this be? I open the case and lift the object within. A new rosario? Why now? A raised eyebrow sends my curiosities to the girl across from me.

She smiled. "This one has a stronger spell. It'll keep your already frayed powers in check while we're topside."

"Did you make it?"

"Naturally. Well, the charm was made by an artisan, but I made the spell."

"Mm." Great. Not a new one. It took me long enough to get accustomed to the one I have now. Now it won't just be the hunger under control. This one will probably block my flare powers, too.

She turns to leave and calls over her shoulder, "Alright, Iurgium. We'll leave next week. And remember when packing, Gaia is much, much colder than Orcus!"

Another thing to love about the flames of hell. Wonderful. Now, the only thing that could possibly make this worse would be if-

"Cloud!"

-she showed up. Dammit, she's more of a devil than the Dominus himself. I give a sigh, "What the fuck do you want?"

The dark-haired girl grinned widely, floating a good two feet off the ground. "Hiya, Cloud! Is Aerith chewing you out because you failed again?"

My middle finger rose slowly. "Screw you, Yuffie. Damn succubuses are a disgrace to all real demons."

"Oh!" She fell back dramatically, still hanging in the air. "You hurt me so, Cloud Strife! Master of all failures!"

"You repulsive things use seduction and sex to your advantage. It's disgusting."

"Oh, and lusting after the blood of mortals isn't?"

"At least we have rules to follow… There's a small selection of mortals we're allowed to feed off of. We can't just go off and do what we want to who we want."

"Hm. And what about your other sides?"

My eyes narrow to a dark degree. "I am a _vampire!_ Nothing more, nothing less!"

She nodded wisely. "Uh-huh. We all know you screwed up. Don't deny it, Blood-Sucker!"

Walk away. Just walk away. That's all you can do when she gets like this. I turn sharply and march through the heated caverns in the direction of the vampire district to get some sleep.

***

One week later, I waited by the Magnus Aditus with my gear packed, rosario equipped, and Aerith and her werewolf companion standing nearby. I watched as the three Aditus masters opened the portal to the human realm with the powers unique to an artisan.

The passage opened in a series of three ripples echoing across the glass surface. I felt a prod in my shoulder and knew it was Aerith without even needing to look. I pull myself to my feet and pull my travel sack over my shoulder.

Aerith waved a hand and shouted, "_Pendēre!_" At the sound of her voice, the heavy trunks packed with our belongings slowly rose from the cavern floor and floated along behind her as she made for the gigantic mirror. Her raven-haired companion, Zack, followed behind her with a grin and a thumbs-up for his werewolf friends on the side.

I give a sigh and follow them to the realm of eternal torment. At least to a vampire. Snacks all around, but no excuse to sate my hunger. Another sigh and I pass through the gate.

My vision blurs slightly at the foreign feeling. It's… strange. It feels as though I'm being thrust through water without a surface. All I can see is blue, the ripples of the dimensional rift shifting over my sight in an unsettling way. Light filters past and reflects off the wrinkles in time, making it difficult to keep my eyes open. The moisture of the strip between realms is actually pretty gross. My face forms an unintentional grimace as the fluid soaks through my clothes and presses them to my body.

A grunt escapes my lips as a force throws me out of the passage and I land on my hands and knees on a soft floor. It feels strangely familiar and while I'm trying to figure it out, Aerith's giggles enter my ears. I scowl and stand, glaring at her.

She raises a hand to try to muffle her laughter. "Iurgium… This is your first time through the passage, right? Well, since then, anyway…"

I reach up, twisting my spiky hair free of liquid and toss the limp lock out of the way. "Yeah."

"Well, then, since you're not used to it, you can have the shower first."

I finally take the chance to observe my surroundings and blink at the quaint design of the mortal room. What the heck are these things? So many unusual objects. Aerith scuttles around the small living quarters, taking things from the trunks and setting them around on the counters and other furnishings. She pauses and turns to face me, "Oh, Iurgium?"

I hate the tone in her voice. I reply warily, "…What?"

She smiles widely, "I've enrolled all of us in the local school. Nundinae and I, while we're old enough to remember the last war, we still look young enough to be in a school, so we'll all go together."

I swear my pale skin fades a shade lighter and I manage to mumble, "Human school…? Are you serious?"

"Quite. You need to learn how to cooperate with mortals. It's a part of your training."

Oh, fuck. I had no idea she'd shove this sort of crap on me. I guess I don't really have a choice. I sigh again. "Fine. So what do I have to do?"

"Well, basically, you just have to attend the classes and take their exams. Your grades in this school will be considered when I give your final grade on this expedition."

"…You mean, on top trying to keep my fangs out of all these creatures, I'm going to have learn all the crap they do?"

She waved a hand dismissively. "You won't have any trouble. As a vampire, all your reflexes are high beyond that of a human. Your learning processes are much more attuned, as well. There are a stack of textbooks on the desk of your room to get you caught up to the grade you'll be attending."

She continues at my confused expression, "The human schools are divided up by twelve grades. They start attending school at the age of six and start the first grade then. They increase one grade per year, so, since you're seventeen, you'll be going into eleventh grade. Zack and I will accompany you to that grade so we can help you get used to it. A large portion of your training is how well you can interact with mortals."

Wonderful. Just wonderful. Not only am I going to be surrounded by snacks, but I have to interact with them, too? Without eating? I don't even interact with demons unless I have to. This is going to be one hell of a lesson.

"Oh, and, Iurgium? Your first day of school is next Monday."

***

I tug at the damn piece of fabric threatening to cut my airwaves off and finally give up, biting the thing and tearing it apart with my fangs. Aerith walked past the doorway to see me picking pieces of black cloth out of my teeth and laughs. She shakes her head good-naturedly and teases, "You know, Iurgium, ties aren't mandatory."

I spit a wad of material onto the floor and raise my eyes to hers. "Now you tell me."

She laughs again. "Buttoning your shirt and jacket are, though."

I glance down at my open shirt. "But I never wear shirts."

"The point of being in the mortal realm is to learn how to fit in."

I sigh. "No exceptions?"

"At least wear an undershirt until you get used to it. But you do need to try to blend."

"Yeah, whatever." I shrug my open shirt and jacket off and grab a black undershirt from my dresser. As I pull it over my head, I glare at Aerith as she holds a stack of books and a bag common to mortals -a backpack?- towards me.

She grins. "Have fun on your first day of school!" She turns and shouts to the rest of the apartment, "Nundinae! Hurry up! We have about two minutes to transfer!"

Zack's voice calls back, "Alright, alright! I'm almost ready!"

Aerith turns back to me before she leaves completely. "Oh, do you have your new rosario equipped?"

I nod sharply, "Yeah." Damn thing stings like hell, too. I always hate getting new ones. They take forever to get accustomed to. I sigh once more for good measure and pick up the bag Aerith gave me. After a minute of tying, it finally occurs to me to actually put it on my back. Who knew? Mortals can make sense. I mean, duh! Where else would you wear a backpack but on your back? I'm about to slap my forehead from my own idiocy when Aerith's head pokes back into the doorway.

She cocks her head at the sight of me but chooses not to comment. Smart woman. Instead, she says, "Iurgium? We need to transfer now if we're going to be on time."

I can't wait. Really, I can't. Aerith walks into my room and grabs hold of my wrist, dragging me back out to the all-purpose room. What was it Aerith had called it? The living room? I think so. Sounds close enough, anyway.

"Iurgium? Over here."

I sigh and walk over to where Aerith and Zack wait. A foreign call from Aerith has us fading away into nothingness as her teleportation spell takes effect. New surroundings fill my vision as we start to appear in a small valley between two mortal buildings.

By the forgotten curse of artisans! Why in the hell do mortals like the smell of metal so much? It's disgusting! I can't even- Yegh!

Something cool touches my arm, sending me through the roof, and I turn to see Aerith standing there with concern written on her features. A wrinkle forms in her brow as she asks, "Iurgium? Do you sense something?"

There she goes again. Flipping out just because my frickin' vampire senses are actually picking up what they're supposed to. She knows as well as the next demon that vampires have naturally sharper senses. I feel a prod in my side, bringing me back to the present. I answer her question, "Just the god-forsaken smell of metal…"

She nods understandingly and turns to leave the alley, a pink backpack strapped over her shoulders. I roll my eyes and shiver. Damn it. Aerith was right when she said Gaia was colder than Orcus. And this is comin' from a guy who has a higher natural body temperature. Aerith told me once that average body heat for humans was about ninety-seven-point-something degrees Fahrenheit and a hundred-four was a dangerous number. A vampire's average runs roughly between one-thirty and one-forty. So, really, I shouldn't be cold at all.

Giving my eyes a roll for effect, I follow Zack and Aerith out of the foul-smelling gorge.

***

Aerith leads me through the halls, staring at everything the way a necromancer inspects fresh corpses. I, on the other hand, find myself sniffing every mortal to see how tasty they might be. Dunno if it's unfortunate or not, but my new rosario cloud's -funny, really- my judgment, making it impossible to tell if they would taste any good.

A giggle escapes Aerith's lips, snapping my attention back to her. She smiles and voices her thoughts, "They've changed this place since the last time I was here. For instance," she points at the tile under our feet, "that used to be a drab white. The red and black patterns are a nice update. And the walls were white, too. They've really spruced the place up."

I blink. "Uh-huh…"

She pauses. "Oh, this is your stop!" She shoves on my shoulder, throwing me towards the small room. I grunt out of distaste, collecting myself and putting my normal scowl in place before turning the knob.

I walk in and glare at the various students already gathered. The old mortal at the front of the room looks up and speaks, "Oh, you must be the new students. Care to introduce yourselves?"

I stand still, saying nothing, before turning and walking back to the third of five rows and stop at the third seat. Aerith's voice sounds behind me, "I'm sorry, sir. He's just shy. I'm Aerith, and he's Iurgium."

Completely ignoring the conversation behind me, I glare down at the mortal boy in my seat. He looks up at me. "What the heck do you want, Goth-boy?"

My eyes narrow. "My seat."

"Look, dude, this is my seat. Go find your own spot."

This guy is really starting to piss me off. Can't he just do as he's told? I know Aerith is watching to see if I'll 'fit in' and I don't doubt that she used her magic to get us in every class together, but I can't resist. This guy is ticking me off. I won't bite… this time.

"Come on, get out of here, you freak!"

Okay. That does it. Did it ever occur to you that mortals might be the freaks and demons are just stuck protecting your sorry asses? Even with my powers bound by my rosario, my hand flies forward with inhuman speed and grips him by his collar. I lift him to the side and drop him on the floor without taking my eyes off the sudden fear embedded on his face.

I drop down into my seat and pick his books up, letting those drop to the floor beside him with a thud. The kid looks up at me and gathers his books in a hurry before grabbing a seat on the opposite side of the room.

Aerith walks over and sits down in the seat behind me. She leans forward to whisper in my ear, "You know we'll be talking about this later."

I shrug a response as the old mortal adjusts the metal and glass objects on his nose before speaking.

***

Ten weeks. That's how long I've been in this alternate hell. I thought the mortal realm was supposed to be some sort of paradise? Whoever made that up deserves death in the most painful process imaginable. On the plus side, I've managed to keep my fangs out of every unsuspecting mortal around me. I glance down at the god-forsaken textbook in front of me and flip it closed. Bracing my hands against the desk, I shove back and stand. I switch my uniform for a pair of sweat pants and fall into bed, the hushed whispers of Aerith's and Zack's conversation slipping into my ears.

***

A groan escapes my lips as I push myself out of bed. A glance at my clock has me out of bed and racing for the bathroom, wondering if Aerith had attempted an electrical spell and short-circuited the power. A quick search of the apartment yields the absence of both the witch and her companion. What the hell? Did they abandon me here? In this mortal hell?

I turn, about ready to throw myself against the wall, when a flash of brown catches my eye. I walk over to the kitchen counter, where Aerith burned a message onto the surface. It read, _'Iurgium, I hope you see this before you trash the apartment, but I shut off your alarm. Yesterday morning was a mortal ritual called 'Daylight Savings Time.' It alters the time by one hour and I know you need all the sleep you can get as a starved vampire. Just come to school as soon as you wake up. See you there -Aerith.'_

I roll my eyes. Geez. Damn mortals and all their stupid-ass 'rituals.' Ah, well. Just because last week was 'spring break' doesn't mean I can't have a bit more free time from that prison. I get myself a glass of cranberry juice from the refrigerator and sip it slowly. It might not be the consistency of blood, but it is the right color. It helps my hunger, if only a little.

I finish getting ready for school and grab the teleportation charm my teacher left for me. My eyes close as I focus on the scrap of paper and the world fades around me.

I push the door to the bathroom stall open and walk out to the school's halls. Taking a moment to get my bearings, I head down the hall for my second period, algebra. God, if mortals didn't spend so much time thinking up such useless things, I bet they might actually have a stable form of government.

I walk up to my classroom and pause. Something doesn't feel right. I sense… something new. It's not unpleasant, but it's not friendly, either. Whatever it is, I don't doubt I could take it. I take the knob and turn it before taking a few steps inside. I pause by the instructor's desk and quickly skim the room for the disturbance.

There. My eyes fall on a girl, no older than anyone else in this hellhole, with long, dark hair and a sorrowful frown. She's sitting in the desk next to mine, so I make my way over and sit down. I didn't have time to stop by my locker, so I didn't have any of my books for this class. Wouldn't have mattered if I did, anyway.

There was something about that girl. I don't know what, either. She's definitely not a demon, I know that much. But there was something else… I can't place it. Her physical features are just plain hot. Silken hair, woe-laden ruby eyes, a petite frame, long, slender legs, a short skirt… What man in his right mind -demon or no- wouldn't stare? She's almost the embodiment of all things Orcus isn't. Aether.

Her head starts to turn towards me and I snap my attention to the teacher. The gaze of those beautiful eyes leaves me and I turn back to her, just realizing what it is about her.

She smells _so_ good. I can only imagine how she must taste.

***

I throw my books from forth period into my locker and grab my mortal currency for lunch. What can I say? It's routine by now. I slam my locker shut and sigh at the sight of the uniformed brunette waiting behind the door. She smiles openly and shouts over the noise of passing students, "Hey, Iurgium! What time did you come in for?"

"Halfway through second period."

"Oh, really? I guess that's not too late. How'd you sleep?"

"A lot worse than if you'd let me sleep during the day."

"You know how the darkness feeds your hunger. It would just be stupid of me to let you wander during those hours."

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Anyway, lunch! I wonder what's on the menu today?"

"Who cares?"

She laughed, apparently thinking I was joking, and followed the flow of students to the cafeteria. I trail along after them simply because any sustenance was better than none. Aerith stopped by the double doors and smiled, addressing me with a shout, "Iurgium! I'm going to wait for Nundinae. Go on ahead!"

I nod once and get in line for my food. If you could even call this shit food, but who am I to judge what mortals eat? After going through the motions, I get my meal and look for an empty table.

That's when I smell it. That's when I smell _her._ What the hell is it about that girl? I follow my nose towards the table in very corner of the large room and pull out a seat without an invitation. I sit down and let my eyes roam over her features, memorizing every detail.

She watches me with a hard expression and asks, "Am I that interesting?"

***

I clean out my locker of all the crap I'll need for tonight's homework at the day's end when Aerith stops beside me. A familiar scent lingers around her, permeating my senses with the lust for human blood. God, that girl, Tifa, she… Damn the Dominus! Why the fuck is she in my head like this!? I've _never_ had a lust like this before. Tifa with her perfect eyes and her perfect scent and her perfect curves… She's so damn adorable! I sound like fucking idiot saying that, but I can't help it! That's what she is!

"-cor home, okay?"

I turn to Aerith, just realizing she was talking. "What were you saying?"

She rolls her eyes. "Did you hear a thing I just said?"

"Not… really…"

"Basically, I'm going to walk Seracor home and then meet up with you and Nundinae so we can do some grocery shopping. Maybe we can actually eat some decent food for lunch. Do you need anything before I go?"

I shake my head and watch her bounce down the hallway before releasing a sigh. Great. Not only am I stuck with Zack, but I'm stuck with him in public.

A loud shout echoes behind me, "Cloud! Ready to go?"

I roll my eyes and turn to face Zack. "Yeah, let's get this over with."

An insulted expression crosses his face. "'Get this over with'? What are you talking about? Surely my company is better than stiff ol' Aerith's!"

I keep my stare level and stay silent for a moment before allowing my grin show. "You are in so much trouble if I tell her you said that."

He waves a hand nonchalantly. "Eh, whatever. Wouldn't be the first time she punished me."

"How can you stand it? Being looked down on by your own companion?"

He shrugs as we head outside. "That's just the way it is. A word of advice: Don't fall for a council member."

"How come?"

"Makes life a helluva lot easier if you don't have to keep followin' her topside. And take care of her students, and do as she says, and- Oh, well, you're different from the rest. I mean, the whole almost-son thing and all."

Wonderful. Another reminder that I was raised by his companion. Don't get me wrong, Aerith was -and is- a great parental figure to me. Zack… Not so much. He's more like the older-younger brother I never had or wanted.

We continue our walk towards downtown and ten minutes later the pizza shop we all have come to love enters our sight. They serve a special called 'Vampire's Delight,' but they lie. There's not a drop of blood or flesh… It's just some processed meats and some sauce that looks a little more like blood than the usual.

"So the one thing I can't figure out about mortals…"

Just one thing, Zack?

"Is why do they call those things monkey wrenches? I mean, did monkeys use them or were they for beating bad monkeys or…?"

Like I know…

"I just can't figure it out…"

…or care. Finally, we're here. I move to push the door open as a cheerful voice that could only belong to one person fills my ears. "Hey! Nundinae! Iurgium! There you guys are!"

Zack turns and shoots a grin at his companion. "Hey, Aerith! Wassup?"

"I just split off from Seracor and came here. So! What should we get this time?"

Despite the apparent popular belief by mortals, judging by all the 'supernatural' stories I've stumbled across, demons don't have much larger appetites than humans. On the contrary, it's probably the opposite. I mean, we eat, but not that much.

Zack goes to open the door to the commercial building when a sound pierces through my finely-tuned vampiric hearing. A scream. To the south… It sounded like…

Tifa.

Before I can stop myself, my hand is reaching up and ripping my rosario from my neck and tossing to Aerith. I take off in the direction of the scream, ignoring Aerith's complaints. In the back of my mind, I hear the sound of her summoning a stop spell and Zack transforming.

Without my rosario, my full potential is free. My feet move beneath me at a speed where human passerby's would just see a black blur, probably. I can't hear anything else and I pray to whatever God there might be that she's alright. Deep inside, I can't help but hope that it isn't her. My ears have never failed me before, though. I perk up, trying to pick up more sounds to point me in the right direction.

There. The scuffling of feet and small splashes of water. Wait, was that a zipper? Oh, _fuck_ no. I turn the corner and the sight makes my already blood-thirsty stomach hunger more. I'm not sure if it's the desire to see the disgusting mortal dead or my wish to have Tifa in my arms and open for my pleasure that makes me feel that way.

Not important right now.

I summon my flare powers and a small fire forms in my palm, growing slightly as I force myself to focus on it. I skid to a stop about ten feet away, hurling the flame and watching my power connect with the right side of the lowly mortal's face, burning it on contact. His scream echoes through the alley, feeding my hunger to a dangerous degree. I know I shouldn't let this go any further, but what could one little bite hurt?

My feet move beneath me, carrying me closer to him. My hand rises of its own accord and grips his throat, lifting him from the ground as my hold tightens. I hear him choking as his last breath fails him. His body falls limp in my grasp and I slowly lower him to the ground, just to make sure his blood isn't shifted too much. If there's one thing I hate, its shaken blood. It's been this long; I'm not going to ruin the one chance I have.

My fangs sink into his flesh, puncturing it for the feeding. Positioning my lips around the wounds, I start to drink his blood. Oh, _yeah!_ It might be foul blood, but it's blood. I'll take it where I can get it. The flavor slowly slips down my throat, almost sending me to shivers from the sensation. I haven't fed on a fresh human in over eight years. The glory! The taste…!

A sound pierces through my thoughts, forcing me to search for the distraction. A beautiful brunette human sits in the rotten rainwater, a look of fear embedded on her gorgeous features. Her smell… She has got to be de_licious_…

A thud echoes in the back of my mind as I stand and slowly move towards her. Her neck looks so smooth and soft… The veins throbbing with every beat of her heart… Her blood… Her crimson blood…

Blood. Taste. Red. Girl. Blood. Skirt. Eyes. Fear. Taste. Blood. Rubies. Hunger. Veins. Red. Blood. Taste. Blood.

Must… _Taste… Blood!!!_

_My mind refused to register what was going on then. It wasn't until later that I realized how sporadic my thoughts were. A vampire without the proper seal in the mortal realm is truly a dangerous thing._

***

I sit on the edge of the six-foot planter outside school. Tifa sits down a little ways from me, shy for some reason. She bites into her sandwich and my memory flashes back to two days ago, when I tasted her. She keeps her eyes down as she swallows her food before raising her gaze. She stares straight ahead, not looking at me and speaks, "Cloud…?"

My reply is more of a grunt than anything else. "Hn?"

"What… What's Orcus like?"

I snap my textbook closed and set it down. I haven't been hungry in almost two whole days. Judging by the amount of blood I drank, I probably won't be hungry for another two weeks. I sigh and answer her question with a brief, "It's hell."

She nods slowly. "I see. How sad…"

Against my better judgment, I turn to face her. "Why?"

"It's sad that you've spent your whole life in such a miserable place…"

I fight the chuckle deep inside my throat. Tifa _was_ my master, after all. Wouldn't be a good idea to get on her bad side. "Don't misunderstand me. Hell to a demon is like…" I look around for an example. "It's like soil to a tree. It's bland, it's stereotypical, but all-in-all, it's where we belong."

Her expression shifts to one of understanding. "You never answered my question. What is Orcus like?"

"It's… home. There're always flames on every side. There's no outside; everything is inside dark and dismal caverns. Every breed has their own district where they can be 'safe' from all other breeds."

"What do you mean when you say 'breeds'?"

"Vampires, flares, witches, werewolves, succubuses, necromancers, artisans… So on and so forth."

"How many breeds are there?"

I shrug. "I have no idea. At least a good twenty or thirty, I'd say. Maybe more. Why?"

A faint blush burns softly at her cheeks, enhancing the ruby light of her eyes. "It's just… I want to get to know you better. That's all."

I lean back, using my palms as support to keep myself on the oversized planter. "If that's the case, you're asking all the wrong questions." She shoots me a look but I shrug it off. "Sure, asking about the place where I grew up might help you _understand_ me, but it won't teach you about _who_ I am."

"Alright…" She crossed her arms. "So tell me about yourself, then."

"Later. We have five minutes to get to our next class."

She glances at her watch. "Oh! Alright, let's go, um, what was it? Iurgeos?"

I roll my eyes. "Iurgium. But please call me 'Cloud,' master."

"If you stop calling me 'master.' I hate this stupid food-chain deal. The strong lead the weak? What sort of garbage is that?"

"'The strong lead the weak because the weak are not strong enough to lead themselves.'"

"What's that?"

"That's a common demon saying used to describe our leadership methods."

"Oh."

"Does it make any more sense to you now?"

"Not really… It still seems insane to me."

"It's insane to me, too."

***

I follow her back to her home for the forth night in a row, wondering how long this will last before her parents find out I've been sleeping on her balcony. She opens the front door and walks inside. I follow closely, unable to get enough of her scent. Sure, I may have tasted her, but that only lasts so long. It'll last a little while, but then I'll start to hunger again. It's the unbreakable cycle.

She lifts a piece of paper from the counter and reads it briefly before turning to me. "My mom went shopping, so I guess it's just us until my dad gets home."

I nod. "I see. Then we can finish our conversation from lunch."

She sits on the couch and pulls notebook from her bag, observing my penmanship from fourth period. "Alright… So, um…What exactly are vampires?"

I raise an eyebrow. "What are humans?"

She blushes. God, she's beautiful when she blushes. "I meant… What does it mean to be a vampire?"

"I don't follow."

"What can you do? I mean, monsters have special powers, right?"

I can't help it. I laugh. A full, rich, arrogant laugh. "First off, you would be wise not to address any of my kind as 'monsters.' We much prefer 'demon.'"

She looks startled by my reaction. I guess I can't blame her. "O-okay. I'll remember that…"

"Secondly, while I wouldn't call them 'powers,' yes, we do have… abilities… mortals do not."

She slides forward on the sofa, interested in my response. "Like what?"

I scratch the back of my head, unsure of how to reply. "You asked about vampires, so… We are one of the more physical breeds; along with succubuses and werewolves. The latter are closer to the magic side because of their transformations -like you saw with Zack- while succubuses nature is somewhat more magical as a whole. They have a… unnatural… way with the body. It's not entirely magical, but it's not physical, either."

"But what about vampires?"

"We are the most physical of all the breeds. Everything we do is natural. We are powered by our lust for human blood. It… drives us. Unlike a succubus's desire for fucking, ours is uncontrollable except by a rosario. If I were to remove this-" I hold up my rosario for emphasis "-I would lose all control of my senses and probably would have sucked every drop of blood from your body by now."

She releases a gasp. "What can you do, though?"

"Vampires don't get fancy spells like witches or puppet mastery like necromancers. All of our abilities are, like I said, purely physical. Strength, hearing, smell, taste, eyesight… Our senses are developed far beyond that of other demons."

"So, let me get this straight. Succubuses, um, get physical for fun?"

I sigh. "We do, too, but ours is dangerous for mortals. Ours is in our nature for survival, while damn succubuses _just_ go for pleasure. They have no need to actually have sex."

"Okay… So, do vampires have sex, too?"

My eyebrow rises again and I can feel my heartbeat quicken. "Are you suggesting something?"

My appearance must look pretty calm still, because she doesn't seem to realize what she just did to me. A bright blush burns at her face and she hides behind her hands. "No! I didn't mean…! I… I just…" Her voice drops to a whisper, "Oh, my Goddess… I can't believe I said that…!"

"To answer your question, yes. Even vampires have their desires… and the need to procreate."

Her face remains hidden in her hands. "I… I see… I…"

"It was a simple slip of the tongue. Don't dwell on it for too long. Any other questions?"

She finally collects herself, slowly rising again with the heat still showing on her face. "Oh… Uh… What about… What about that fire?"

"Hm?"

"That blue fire… It saved me… It was you, wasn't it?"

I nod slowly. "Yes, that was my flame."

"But… You said vampires don't have any magical abilities."

My gaze lowers. "That's because… Well…"

She stutters a quick apology, "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bring back any bad memories or anything…"

Another sigh. "You are my master. If you want to know, I have to speak."

"Cloud, that's… That's not right. If you want to give up your freedom, so be it. But I'm not going to sacrifice my equal-opportunity way of thinking for some stupid mistake."

I look back up to her, locking my gaze onto hers. "Is that so?"

She nods defiantly. "If I must be your master, then at least let me be a merciful one."

I shrug. "You are the master. The choice is yours."

***

I stack Tifa's stuff together and stand from forth period. I hate mortal history. It so frickin' boring. I mean, what the heck do I care about the past of Gaia? Seriously? I was much happier with the damn chemistry class I had before I started following Tifa. Granted, she makes it worth it, but still… It's still a pain in the ass.

"Cloud?"

I look up at her. Damn, she's beautiful. "Yeah?"

"Um, lunch?"

"Oh, right." I gesture towards the door, letting her go first like the gentleman I am. A gentleman that drinks the blood of gorgeous mortals, but still… If you were in my place, you'd have done the same thing. Just trust me on this one.

She walks out the door, turning to make sure I'm following before heading towards her locker to get our lunches and deposit her crap from class. I'd started leaving my lunch in her locker since it was an overall time-saver.

We head to the front door, our regular lunch spot, and I set my lunch on the planter. I move behind Tifa and set my hands on her waist. She gasps as I easily lift her up to the ledge. I pull myself up next to her and pick up my lunch sack. I dig around inside, fully aware of her eyes on me, and pull a sandwich made of some kind of mortal livestock.

I give a sigh and finally turn to face her, no longer having an excuse to look away. I know the look in her eyes is going to kill me. It always does.

I'm surprised when she turns away. What the…? I keep my hands to myself as I ask, "Tifa?"

She still doesn't look. "Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

Still her eyes stay on the pleats of her skirt. "I'm fine. Why?"

I know I'm not going to win this one. "You're just… acting unusually."

"No, I'm not. I'm just fine."

I hate having to stoop this low. "You were really stiff during class, too."

She finally glances at me out of the corner of her eye. It's only a brief glance then her eyes are back to her knees. "As if you know."

"You were practically on my lap." Shut up, shut up, shut up! Stop talking! Now! This is only going to make things worse between us. She already hates me for clinging like a snake to shadows…

"Cloud… I…"

"Iurgium! Seracor!" Aerith comes out the front of the school with Zack in tow, waving high over her head. She stops in front of us and smiles. "We're going back to Orcus tonight, so if you want to say good-bye, stop by the apartment after school."

A new thought occurs to me. "Do I need to move my stuff out?"

Aerith gives her head a shake. "Nope! Orcus will continue to fund the place, so it'll be yours for awhile."

I nod. "Thanks."

Zack grins from behind his companion. "So, Cloud, are you gonna miss me?"

I shake my head, laughing my ass off on the inside. "Nope."

His shoulders slump a little. "Aw, man… Can't you lie and make me feel a little better?"

"Nope."

Aerith laughs and rubs a hand through her companion's hair, scratching him behind the ear to appeal to his dog side. "Don't worry, Nundinae. I still love you for all your quirks."

"Aw, thanks, Aerith."

I notice Tifa has been uncharacteristically quiet through this conversation. She's usually flying off the handle, asking a whole frickload of questions about Orcus and demons. I am definitely going to be talking to her about this later.

***

I follow Tifa down the hall to sixth period when she suddenly reaches out and grabs my wrist, pulling me off to the side. Don't laugh at me. I was taken by surprise.

I look around the empty classroom. "Tifa, I don't think our class is-"

I feel my breath hitch in my throat as her slender fingers slowly feel their way up my chest. The thin fabric of my undershirt does little to block out the heat of her palms. I barely get a breath in before her lips softly tread over mine. She starts slow, brushing her lips back and forth over mine and then pressing harder to seal her mouth over mine.

Wait. What? What the-? I thought she hated me… Since when does hate turn into this? Oh, shit… I thought her _blood_ tasted good? Well, it did, but her mouth… On top of her fruity lip balm, she tastes like… passion and grace. I know. It sounds dumb, but that's what I taste.

It occurs to me finally that she's been kissing me and I'm just standing there. Crap! She's probably starting to think I don't like her! Damn it! Wait… How… do you… kiss…? I've never kissed anyone before… Fuck! Oh, shit. Bad choice of words. Stop thinking, Strife, and just go with it! There's got to be tons of people this age who've never kissed before.

I know it involves your tongue… kind of… Alright, let's just try this. I angle my chin a little to fit my mouth against hers better. There. That feels… way too damn good for something so simple.

Her hands slip slowly upwards to twist into my hair. Ow. I'm really regretting my lack of a comb this week. She doesn't seem to notice as she grips more tightly. Ow.

Oh, right. Hands. What do I do with those? Shoulders? Too awkward. Waist? She's not close enough. Butt? Waaayyy too awkward. Hips? Hips could work. Slowly, and still a bit unsure, I set my palms on her hips.

I must've done something right. Suddenly, her body lurches forward, pressing closer to mine. At this proximity, she _must_ be able to feel what she's doing to me.

Hips don't feel right anymore. My hands slowly crawl up to her back and press against her shoulder blades, pulling her closer. That feels nice.

Alright… Tongue… Tongue… How does this work? Just… get past her lips and… move around? That's my best guess. Let's just do this as we go. First step: get past her lips. I guess I just… push past? Her mouth is still closed against mine, so should I be gentle and let her know I want to explore or just force my way in? Who am I kidding? This is Tifa! She deserves the best and most gentlemanly behavior I can give.

I part my lips slowly and rub the tip of my tongue against her mouth. It takes her a little bit, but eventually her lips part for me. My tongue is inside her mouth before I can stop myself. Whatever happened to 'gentleman,' Strife? Oh-ho-ho… _Now_ I know why mortals jam their tongues in each others' throats. The sensations are just… I always thought it was disgusting when I heard the succubuses talking. But now…? Well, suffice to say my opinion has changed.

A shiver echoes through her body, vibrating into my hands. Oh, God… I'm starting hunger again. I didn't think I'd even consider it for another week or so.

Her tongue starts to run against mine, pushing me back and fighting to explore my mouth. This isn't supposed to happen! Tifa, you… Damn it! She's winning! This can't be happening! I like being in her mouth!

She finally gets her way and forces her way into my mouth. Oh, hey… No, I can deal. Mm… I had no idea how sensitive my fangs were to her advances. My throat starts to tighten a little as a moan pushes its way up. Damn, how does she know to do these things? How in the chains of Orcus does she know how to spur a seventeen-year-old vampire?

Oh, fuck, no. I can't take this. If I let this last any longer, I'll end up with either my fangs in her neck or my pants at my ankles.

I force myself to pull away from her and look her in the eye, hating myself for letting it get as far as it did. I mean, I just sucked my master's lips off! Granted, she initiated it, but still… Nothing can happen between us. I'm foolish for even thinking there might be a chance. We might be close in age now, but she's a mortal; her body will age while mine will mature to early-twenties and stop. It just won't work.

"Cloud…" My name slips past her lips and the tenderness with which she speaks almost has me leaning back to her.

I watch her eyes watching me. I know she wants more from me, but it… it can't happen. Finally, I reach up and tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear while whispering, "Tifa… Why…?"

Her face rams into my neck as her hold tightens on my shoulders. "Cloud… I… If I'm going to be stuck with you for the rest of my life, I want to spend it the way my heart tells me to."

Oh, crap. She… Oh, crap, crap, and double crap. This is _not_ good. I'm about to tell her we can't be together when a forgotten factor jumps into my brain. Suddenly, I feel very depressed. My shoulders droop. "I drank your blood. I am yours now."

I can hear the anger slipping into her tone. "I don't want to be with you like this unless you're happy with it… Even if I 'own' you… I want you to feel the same way about me as I do about you."

I run a hand through her hair before resting my cheek on the silken tresses. "Tifa… You have nothing to worry about. When I drank your blood, I tasted your being… When you kissed me, I tasted your hunger… Now, all I want is to taste all of you… Your body, blood, and soul."

"Cloud…" Her grip on my shoulders tightens. "And taste me you will…"

"Tifa, that's… If you're saying what I think you're saying, then that can't ever happen. Not now, not ten years from now, not ever. Mortals and demons aren't… allowed. It just won't work."

"Cloud, that's not… I mean, I…" Her head shifts a little against my neck. "We are ridiculously late for class."

"Who gives a shit?"

She pulls back to leave. "I do, Cloud. My parents would flip if they found out I skipped class to make out."

I reach out to catch her wrist. "Tifa, this is important. Yes, you are my master. Yes, you can tell me what to do. Yes, I'll blindly follow because I screwed up royally. But, Tifa… What you're suggesting…It can't _ever_ happen."

She turned around, yanking her wrist free from my hold, and made for the door. I follow, thoughts to make sure she's alright more consuming than the fact that I'll be deported if I get too far away.

I grab her wrist as she tries to run. "Tifa! Listen to me."

She turns to me; the tears running down her face making me forget what I was going to say. "What?" she snaps.

"I…" My hand comes up to brush her tears away. She doesn't try to stop me, but doesn't lean into my touch, either. "Tifa… What I said… That's law. I can't. It's not because I don't want it, too. If I could, I would."

"Cloud… I just… I've never felt like this before. That was… That was my first real kiss, too. I mean, guys have given me quick kisses on the cheek and stuff, but not like that. That was… totally new to me."

"Tifa…?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you believe me if I said that was my first kiss ever?"

"Cloud…?"

"Hm?"

"If we can't… If we're not supposed to… If your laws say… Can we still… you know… have a relationship?"

"You mean… like dating?" I think that's the word mortals use, anyway.

"Yeah… Dating."

"As long as we can stay chaste, it shouldn't be a problem."

* * *

We all know how long that lasted, huh? The next morning will be the first chapter of the series, so if you want to see what happens, then keep your eyes peeled. I'll be posting the series separately with this and Tifa's POV as prologues. I had too much fun writing Cloud in first-person, so a majority of the story will be -as I initially planned- from Tifa's point of view with a few sections from Cloud's.

Hope to see you there! (When I can finally feel guilt-free enough to write it… and ignore all my other stories.)

-Valk


	5. Me or the Motocycle?

**Me or the Motorcycle?**

**Rating**: M  
**Prompt**: Cloud/Tifa: Unresolved sexual tension - She was jealous of a motorcycle. A _motorcycle!  
_**Summary**: After dealing with the troubles of a post-Meteor world, all she wanted was the comfort of the man she loved… Was that too much to ask?  
**General Timeline**: Roughly a year post-Meteorfall. After Tifa has opened the new 7th Heaven, but before Denzel entered the picture.  
**A/N**: Okay, this is my first time writing canon since my adventures with 'Of Mako and Promises,' which was written before I'd even seen any member of the compilation. And while I am rather proud of my more recent works in first-person, I'm thinking this one'll be better in third.  
**A/N v.2**: Oh, and several references to The Case of Tifa are made, so it would make a lot more sense if you've read that.

She leaned over the counter with a sigh, slumping down to rest her chin in her hands and her elbows on the bar. Tifa Lockhart wasn't one for regrets. She'd watched her hometown burn around her and seen a sword piercing her father's body. She'd joined up with terrorists to save the planet from the ShinRa Electric Power Company. She'd fought with eight of the closest friends she'd ever known—one of which had wound up dead—to save the world from a madman.

Yet she still had her doubts about the lone night she'd spent as one with her boyfriend. If he could even be called that anymore. Sure, they shared a bed and he greeted her with a kiss and vice versa, but their relationship was lacking the physical aspect she felt was necessary. Ever since he made that call and asked her what would be an appropriate trade for a lifetime's supply of free drinks.

Later that day, he'd come home with that motorcycle. That God-forsaken motorcycle… Ever since, all his waking hours had gone to running his regular trips via chocobo of getting her supplies while making a few deliveries on the side or fixing that stupid bike. It was like he never paid any attention to her anymore.

All she ever got from him was a kiss when she woke up, a kiss when he walked in the door, and an arm around her shoulders and a kiss on the forehead before going to sleep. Well, damn it! She was a part of this relationship and she had her needs, too! She'd make damn sure he paid more attention to her!

"Miss Tifa?"

All she wanted was a little more- She looked up at the scruffy man across the counter and gave a shy smile. "Sorry, Alleck. I got lost in my thoughts. Corel wine?"

"Nah, I gotta pay my tab and get back to work. There's still a lot to do before we can actually call this dump a town."

"Yeah… At least there's a place you know you can get liquor!"

"I'll remember that. I'll come back when the day's done."

"You know I appreciate it!" She flashed him her best hostess smile as he walked away. Tifa sighed and slumped down again as the bell on the door to the empty bar jingled. She looked up with her smile plastered on her face again and greeted, "Hi! Welcome to Seventh-"

She cut off as she recognized her visitor. The teenage girl bounced in with a near-endless amount of energy and came to a stop before hopping up onto one of the stools. "Hey, Tifa! What's up? Where's your little Chocobo-Butt?"

Tifa crossed her arms stubbornly. "First off, don't call him that, Yuffie. His name is Cloud. Secondly, we've been just fine. How about you?"

She sighed and dropped down on the counter, just as the older woman had done before. "Oh, not much. Still helping stupid ol' Reeve with his new 'restore order' plot. He's got me running all around the world even though he _knows_ that every known source of transportation makes me sick… I just came by from Kalm an' he's already shipping me off to Corel… Ugh… I thought I'd stop by and see how the two of you were… getting along." She gave a smirk.

Tifa sighed. "Our relationship isn't like that. We don't need sex to be together."

"He's that against it?"

"I don't know! It's like he's oblivious to me! Ever since he brought that bike home, he's been devoting his life to that chunk of steel and chrome!"

"Geez… You sound about to blow your top. When was the last time you two did it?"

"Over a… Um, it's been awhile."

"How long is 'awhile'?"

"Well, the Highwind was still around the first and last time…"

"Oy, geez… No wonder you're so tense. What the hell has that stiff-assed moron been doing?"

"It's that motorcycle! All he does anymore is lock himself in the garage with it, leave the house to get more parts for it, or sleep! If I even try to get closer to him at night, all he does is wrap an arm around my shoulder and that's it!"

The worst part of it all was that when he fixed his bike, he did it shirtless. It was like he knew exactly how to turn her on and yet he still did nothing about it. Tifa felt it was better not to mention that, though.

"Hmm…" The seventeen-year-old girl tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Have you tried a black teddy?"

"Well, no, but I don't really want to resort to that… I want our relationship to be one that's based on a mutual attraction… I don't want to use my figure to get him to notice me. I shouldn't _have_ to use my figure."

"Yeah, but men are still stupid for a woman in hardly anything."

Tifa raised an eyebrow. "And how do you know this, exactly?"

She waved her hands frantically. "I don't! It's just what I've heard…"

She smiled a little. "Hmph. So you say…"

"Can we change the subject, puh-leese? We're talking about you, here!"

"Fine. So what do you suggest?"

"I say you go out and get yourself some sexy clothes and seduce him! If that doesn't work, then I'm sorry. Well, not really, but-"

"Yuffie!"

"Oh, right. If that doesn't work, then Chocobo-Butt is a few greens short of breeding a chocobo or something."

"But what about Marlene? We're still taking care of her."

"Oh, well, hm. You can't exactly go at it with a five-year-old around…"

A devilish thought occurred to Tifa and she leaned down on the bar to give the girl her best smirk. "I know where she can go…"

Fear entered the Wutaian girl's eyes. "You wouldn't…! No! I know nothing about taking care of kids!"

"All you have to do is keep her out of trouble and have fun. Think of it as a vacation."

"But Reeve is sending me off this afternoon!"

"You said you're going to Corel, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So… Who's leading the oil digs?"

"Barret, so?"

Tifa just gave the girl a 'duh!' look and waited for her to figure it out. Finally she jumped off her stool and shouted, "Oh, yeah! Barret's Marlene's father!"

"Hurray, she figured it out."

"But… It's like a three day trip out to Corel… How is that gonna work? You payin' me to baby-sit?"

"If you take Marlene out of my hair for a few days—weeks, even—then I'll give you my Mastered Fire and Ice materia."

"Hm, but… those are some of the most worthless ones…"

Tifa mentally ran through her personal supply of materia. "Um, well…"

"Oh, fine! I'll call Barret and see if he wants me to bring Marlene out there."

She raised a hand to stop her. "No! You can't! We can't risk him saying 'no'!"

"But you know he'll go ballistic if I just show up with her…"

"Fine. I'll give you my Mastered All materia… Worth a full million gil. If you take the blame for showing up with Marlene, I'll throw in the Fire and Ice ones, too."

"Hmm…" She stroked her chin for a moment. "Fine! You got yourself a deal!"

Tifa smiled. "I'll give you the Fire and Ice now and the All when it's all over. Just to make sure you don't back out."

"Hmph! Fine…"

***

Two days later, Tifa watched as Cloud walked down the stairs, shirtless, and shot her a smile before disappearing into the garage. She grumbled to herself for a moment before scooching off her countertop and grabbing her purse from underneath. Pushing the door to the garage slightly open, she leaned in to find Cloud already at work on his motorcycle.

She gave a sigh and closed the door before heading outside to the shopping district of the slowly building-up Midgar-Edge. Sifting through the small markets, she looked around for a lingerie shop and felt the heat rise on her face just for looking for the store. Her eyes fell on a different clothing store and the outfit hanging in the window caught her attention. _That is too perfect… Not too sluty, not too decent._

***

That night, Tifa stood in her bedroom as she slipped out of her usual leather clothes. She lifted her shopping bag and examined the denim outfit she'd purchased. Her fingers trailed over the fabric as she started to reconsider. She shook her head, deciding it would be worth the attempt. She lifted the short skirt and pulled it up her long, creamy white legs before fastening the button. Freeing the hook on her bra, she slipped it off with a sigh. She picked up the denim vest with the rustic gold buttons and pulled it on, buttoning it to leave most of her cleavage exposed.

She looked in the mirror and examined her new ensemble. It was very similar to the style she sported as a teenager in Nibelheim, except she opted for a vest that buttoned and left the shirt behind. She smiled to herself and pulled a pair of white cowboy boots from the back of her closet, tugging them on before plucking a matching hat from the shelf and set it on her dark hair with a smile.

The sound of a door shutting downstairs alerted her out of her 'sexy girl' trance. She looked towards the bedroom door in panic, knowing the only thing that could mean was that Cloud had left. Giving a sigh, she dropped down on the bed. Now she just had to waste time until he came home.

Or…

She grinned to herself and stepped out of the bedroom before running downstairs. Cloud never took long when looking for parts. He always seemed to have some uncanny sense of knowing exactly where to find whatever he was looking for. She smiled to herself as she slipped into the garage and closed the door behind her to keep Cloud as unaware as possible for as long as she could.

Walking neatly through all the spare parts and tools he had spread around, she made her way over to the bike itself with raised eyebrows. It looked nothing like the dumpy piece of crap he'd brought home. She assumed he still needed to paint it, considering it was still drab shades of black and grey with a few spots of rust here and there.

She took her time, finding a nice spot to lean against that didn't make her look too much like she was asking for it. Footsteps sounded outside and she resisted a smile, trying to force an innocent look forward instead.

The door to the garage opened and Cloud walked in with a box in his hands, freezing when he saw Tifa half-sitting, half-leaning against his bike. He set the box down and took a slow step, an unreadable expression on his face. She gave him her best innocent eyes and slowly ran a finger along the metal frame. "I just wanted to see…"

He swallowed, taking his sweet time before speaking. "…Tifa. Get off, please."

"Cloud… I'm not hurting it at all."

"Tifa, please. Can you get away from Fenrir?"

Her jaw dropped open. "You _named_ it?"

"Tifa, come on… This isn't funny. And…" She watched as his eyebrows slowly knit together. "What are you wearing?"

She smirked inwardly. It was about time he noticed. "Oh, just something I found while I was out shopping. It reminded me of Nibelheim. You like it?" She pushed herself off the bike with an enticing arch of her back to stand straighter and spin in a circle to show her outfit off.

She watched Cloud's Adam's apple as he swallowed slowly. "It's, uh, _different_ from the clothes you used to wear…"

She smiled brightly. "Do you think so? I was hoping it wouldn't make me look like a kid again. Maybe I'll wear it while working the bar tomorrow. What do you think?"

"Tifa, that's… You shouldn't…"

She smiled a little. "Shouldn't what?"

"You shouldn't wear… _that_ in front of other people."

"Why not? It doesn't show much more than what I wore while fighting alongside everyone."

"But, Tifa…"

"But what, Cloud? I'm a bar hostess. I can't be afraid to show a little skin."

"A little, yeah, but that… You don't have much skin left hidden."

"You didn't seem to care what I wore last year."

"But you weren't a parental figure then."

"You still aren't."

He blinked for a moment. "What?"

"Cloud, we're in a relationship! I would think that'd mean that when I take care of my friend's daughter, you would help me! Instead, you've been cooped up in this garage, fixing that damn hunk of chrome and steel!"

He blinked. "Tifa? Is that what's been bothering you lately?"

She felt tears start to prick at her eyes and fought with them, not wanting to break down like a child. "Cloud, I…" She swallowed her spit and bit at her lip, leaning back against the bike for support.

He took a step forward, watching her carefully. "Tifa? Is that what this is about? You want me to help with Marlene more?"

She brushed angrily at her cheek as the first tear started to fall. "I didn't think you were that dense, Cloud."

"I- Tifa, what…? I have no idea what you're talking about. If it's not Marlene, then what?"

She slapped a hand down on the seat of the bike. "It's this stupid motorcycle! All you do anymore is lock yourself in here with it and you never pay any attention to us!" Her voice dropped to whisper as she averted her gaze and corrected, "You never pay any attention to _me._"

A hand gently cupped her cheek and raised her eyes back to his. He studied her face silently, searching her gaze. Finally, he slowly leaned closer and pressed his lips to hers briefly before pulling back about a half-foot. "Tifa… Why didn't you say anything? I thought you were happy getting the bar going. I thought you'd be happy that I was staying out of your hair."

She shook her head, softly at first and then more violently. "No, Cloud! I don't know what gave you that idea! 'I'll be okay because I have you this time'… That's what you told me the day we killed Sephiroth. You said it was different than before. Was I wrong in thinking you wanted a relationship? To be boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"Tifa, I… You know I-"

"-Missed out on five years of your life, right? I know, Cloud." She wiped her arm across her face to rub her tears away again. "I'm trying to make this work between us, but it seems like I'm the only one trying sometimes…"

He reached up with both hands to cup her face and used his thumbs to wipe away her tears. "Tifa… I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm such a screw-up. I meant what I said that day, I just- I'm sorry."

"Quit apologizing already!"

"Will you let me make it up to you?"

"How? And when? I'm sure you want to finish your precious Fenrir first."

"Tifa…" He looked away for a moment, contemplating how to answer. "Tifa, I was thinking right now and… whatever happens."

She blinked and focused her ruby eyes on his cobalt ones. "Cloud… You mean it?"

He swallowed, knowing full well what he was saying. "Yeah. It's… what you want, right?"

She shook her head in his hands, barely believing she was, and said, "Only if you want it, too."

He didn't reply, but leaned closer and kissed her instead. His hands shifted from her jaw to slide down her arms before settling on the bare skin of her waist. She shuddered under his ghostly touch as he moved closer to press his body against hers. Her arms came up to rest her palms flat against his chest, curling her fingers to scratch at the muscles of his naked torso.

Her body started to act on instinct alone as she angled her head to fit her mouth over his better and shifted to grind her hips against his. She moaned against his lips at the feel of his growing arousal against her lower abdomen and lurched forward, pressing as close as she could. One of his hands moved up to nudge the cowboy hat from her head while his other wormed its way in-between them and pulled at the two buttons to her vest, pushing it off her shoulders and throwing it elsewhere.

His hands slid down her hips to finger the hem of her tiny skirt before shoving it up to her waist. Her arms moved up to link behind his neck, pulling him as close as she possibly could. One of her legs moved up to hook around his, her body hating the vertical position. She reached one hand down between them and pulled at the fly to his cargo pants before unfastening his belt and undoing the button.

Cloud's hands trailed down and tugged at the backs of her thighs, pulling her off her feet. Immediately, her booted ankles came around him to hook together behind his back. He sat her down on the seat of Fenrir, still busy making sure her mouth stayed fused to his. She was only happy to comply, feeling her need deepen as his erection rubbed against her.

Finally reaching his wit's end, he slipped a hand between her thighs and shoved her panties to the side. His fingers moved inside of her to make sure she was ready before he pushed his way into her. She let out an audible gasp at the feel of his entrance and started to shift her hips to take as much of him as she could. She broke the kiss off to take a much-needed breath as his hips started to thrust into her, making her sought-after breath come in weary gasps with each motion.

Her chest heaved against his, her arms and legs linking behind him to pull him close. His arms stayed wrapped firmly around her waist while his lips moved to press to ragged kisses to her neck.

She bit down on her lip to keep her screams down as she came. She rode out the waves of pleasure before finally slumping down against Cloud and resting her temple on his shoulder. His body stiffened in her hold as he released with a low grunt, his arms tightening around her waist as one hand fisted in her dark hair.

His body relaxed slightly as he started to recover and he pulled back a little to nudge her head up so he could touch his forehead to hers. He managed to speak while still finding his breath, "Tifa?"

Her reply came as a grunt more than anything else, "Hn?"

"I think we christened Fenrir before it was ready."

***

Tifa lay in bed that night, resting her cheek on Cloud's bare chest with a content smile on her face. He turned to look at her and pressed a kiss to her hair while tightening his hold on her waist. She shifted a little to get more comfortable while sleep slowly came for her. _So... Fenrir. You can have him during the day. Or at least while the bar is open. _She felt a giggle rise up in her throat and shrugged when Cloud asked._ I get him at night, though._

* * *

Soo... Yeeaahh... Thoughts?

-Valk


	6. She Touches My Dreams

**She Touches My Dreams**

**Rating**: M  
**Genre**: Romance/Supernatural  
**Inspired By**: She Sings Songs Without Words  
**Artist**: Harry Chapin  
**Summary**: He was betrayed by his closest friend, but found the perfect companionship with a woman whose name he didn't know…  
**A/N**: I grew up listening to Harry Chapin, but I hadn't heard him in years and my mom had him playing on the way home from school. This song came on and the idea for this story came almost immediately. After some fine-tuning and some inspiration bursts, it's complete and all set! Tell me what you think, okay?

* * *

"There he is! Follow that trash!"

He ran through the streets to escape the palace guard, gasping for the breath that quickly failed him. He couldn't believe his best friend—make that _former_ best friend—had set him up like that. Running smack-dab into someone's back, he kept going as the woman fell to the ground. He called a quick apology over his shoulder and grimaced as the armored guards trampled right over the young maiden.

As much as he wanted to help the girl, he couldn't stop. He didn't know why his friend had tried what he had, but he'd placed the blame on him as soon as he was caught. Immediately, the guards had started to chase him straight through the town as his friend had watched him go.

A heavy fist slammed into his back, sending his undersized stature to the stone street. The voices of the two guards sounded behind him, arguing over who got credit over his capture.

Their words were lost on Cloud Strife as he slowly registered the bare feet in front of him. The clearly feminine toes were painted a bright shade of red and a thin white gown pooled into a flimsy pile by her feet. He slowly raised his eyes to follow up her slender frame, finding a simple white gown made of semi-sheer fabric. His gaze trailed up to find the collar of her simple dress was designed more like a robe rather than the boisterous styles of the women of town.

Dark hair fell past her shoulders, reaching far down her back but tied into a braid to keep it away from her face. Her face was carved like an angel's, small, red lips, a feminine jaw line, and the most beautiful ruby red eyes he'd ever seen in his life. The ends of them slowly curved up into a beautiful mystique, her pupils reflecting a stoic essence of purity.

He froze, a strange feeling like she was plunging into his eyes, searching his soul, and consuming his being. Her head cocked slightly, her lips forming a thin line as she slowly observed the two guards still fighting. She bent down slightly and extended her hand out for him to help him up.

He glanced over his shoulder at the guards before reaching up and accepting her gesture. She quickly pulled him to his feet and started running, pulling him along after her. He tried to keep up as the shouts of the guards sounded behind him.

The girl pulled him into the crowds, blending instantly into the crowded market streets. They kept running, the shouts of the guards not far behind. He almost fell to his knees as she turned abruptly and pulled him down the narrow alley between two houses. She paused by the white fence and released his hand before starting to clamber over. He watched her warily for a moment as she reached the top and carefully gathered her dress before dropping down to the ground on the other side.

Cloud could hear the guards somewhere in the crowd, still searching for him, and felt he didn't have a choice. He quickly clambered over the white wooden fence meant to keep monsters out of town. He dropped down onto his feet and looked over to see the beautiful woman waiting on him. Without saying a word, she reached out and took his hand again before pulling him through the lush green forest outside of Kalm.

He followed her, not really knowing what to do before warily asking, "Aren't there monsters out here?"

She kept facing forward, but slowly shook her head, sending her knee-length braid back and forth. He shrugged a little and kept up the pace behind her. She released his hand and walked forward before turning to face him.

His eyes trailed through the small clearing, shifting over to the lush foliage of the purest green he'd ever seen and then to the crystal blue pond across the way. The sun shone down brightly from the cracks in the trees, sending an ethereal glow over the woman who'd helped him.

He was convinced by the sight. She truly was an angel. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him before gesturing through the clearing. Confused, Cloud asked, "Do you live here?"

She nodded once and turned away from him, bending down to a squatting position and wrapping one arm around her knees while extending the other to slowly caress a red rose's petals.

Cloud nodded once and walked slowly through the field. Well, that explained why he'd never seen her in town before. Zack had a different woman on his arm each night and Cloud was sure his brother had introduced him to them all.

He walked over next to her and bent down to sit on the grass. "I like it. It's beautiful out here."

She smiled softly at him before turning back to her flower. He continued, "I want to clarify what happened back there. I'm not a pickpocket, you know. The man I trusted as a brother did that and blamed me. It's all Sephiroth's doing. I was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time."

She nodded again before slowly standing. Gathering her long gown up, she gracefully stepped around the flower before walking over towards the spring. Cloud followed her with his eyes as she slipped her robe off her shoulders to reveal her shapely and bare body.

He swallowed his spit as he took in the full sight of her, not really sure what to think of this strange girl stripping in front of him. She lowered herself down into the clear lake and walked out a little ways in the thigh-deep waters. Turning slightly, she raised a hand and beckoned him to join her.

His eyes widened considerably as he weakly pointed to himself. She smiled slightly and nodded, still motioning him closer. He stood up and, completely captivated by her, removed his tunic and trousers before climbing in. He stayed a few feet away, not wanting to be presumptuous and invade her personal space.

She moved through the water and reached out to take his hands in hers. He watched her every move, unable to take his eyes off of her lust-worthy body. She pulled him out closer to the center of the pool, her footing eloquent even in the waters. Cloud's toe caught on a stone and stumbled forward, knocking into her. He felt his lower body brush against hers as he grappled to catch her arms to keep them both up. The heat rose on his face and he turned away, not wanting to look her in the eye.

Her hand reached out and caught his chin, bringing him back to face her again. His eyes widened when he felt her lips press against his and her free hand gently touch his hip. So much for being too presumptuous. Lost in her sweet taste, he pressed closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. His hands found her braid and pulled the ponytail out to let the long tresses free before running through her silken hair.

Keeping her mouth against his, she slowly backed up, leading him through the waters before letting herself fall backwards. He came down on top of her as they landed in foot-high waters that sloped upwards. Their bodies stayed beneath the warm fluids while their heads came up on the slope, giving them plenty of room to breathe if they so wanted to.

He pulled back from their kiss, looking down at her angelic face beneath him. His hand came up and brushed her loose hair away from her face as he locked his gaze onto hers. What was it about this woman? They'd only just met, but he felt completely at ease stripping down, joining her for a bath, and kissing her like a madman. He wondered vaguely if she had that effect on other men and did this occasionally for her own pleasure.

Her dark eyes looked up at him with a haze of that same purity shining deep and he decided he didn't care if she did. He leaned down to kiss her again, feeling a dark lust forming within his soul. He'd never known anything quite like this; never experienced any sort of similar feelings with any other woman. Unlike his brother, when he'd gone to the taverns, he'd gone to drink alone and not to find female companionship.

This woman beneath him, though, was completely different from those flippant little girls, boasting their lowest-cut gowns to garner attention. This woman was so much more adult, somehow, even though she just stripped herself and practically forced herself on him. He didn't mind at all. He felt liberated just by being with her. Perhaps it was because she had helped him escape from a crime he didn't commit, or maybe it was because her spirit took his with it on its journey to the stars.

He looked down at her and, bracing his hands on her waist, rolled over to put her on top. She shifted gracefully to stand and helped him to his feet before pulling him back to mildly deeper waters. The two of them sat down together with their backs against the edge of the pool. Almost by instinct, he wrapped his arm across her back and held her close while she leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder.

It felt so natural to hold her near. Again, he wondered how he could feel this way about a perfect stranger whose name he didn't even know. His heart hammered in his chest as he pressed a kiss to her hair, shifting to capture her lips as she looked up at him.

He felt the way his body reacted and knew he couldn't last much longer without having all of her. Her eyes kept that constant clarity but she accepted his kiss as he leaned closer again. He shifted his position to lean closer to her and rested his opposite hand on her left hip. Her body lurched upward at the contact and he slowly opened his eyes to find hers again. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if her pure gaze reflected the state of her body.

When he couldn't hold himself back any longer, he carefully treaded his fingers across her thigh and closer to the curls at her center. As if by instinct, she merely kissed him in response. Taking that as a good sign, he pressed deeper to shift one finger slowly inside of her.

She didn't make a sound, but pulled closer to him. He shifted to take more of her lips as her tongue slipped into his mouth. A low moan worked its way out of his throat as he pulled her tightly to him with his free hand. He added another finger and curled his thumb to press the knuckle to her clit, relishing in the way her body moved against his hand.

Even though he'd never been with a woman this way before, he could tell that she was close. Her moment came and he felt her fluids come against his fingers. She took a sharp breath and rested her brow on his shoulder as his fingers retreated from her.

Her arms wrapped around him and pulled him closer, silently telling him she still wanted him. He was only happy to oblige her as he slowly stood and held her in his arms. Her face stayed buried in the crook of his neck as he carried her back to the shallower waters and laid her down.

She kept her arms around his shoulders as he situated himself up and into her. Still, she didn't make a sound as he carefully made love to her in his naïveté. Her fingers threaded through his soft hair, lightly stroking it amidst her pleasures.

***

Cloud woke the next morning, happily holding the beauty from yesterday in his arms as they lay side-by-side in the grass. He pulled her as close as he could, feeling her stir in his arms, and pressed a kiss to her hair. She looked up at him, catching his breath with just that sweet look. He knew they were still perfect strangers, but he couldn't help the way he felt when he was with her. She had neither spoken a word nor made a sound, not even during their love making the previous day. He didn't know her name or where she was from, but he didn't really care, either. She hadn't asked his name and he hadn't told her his. He wanted her to know, though. He wanted to tell her everything about himself and wanted to know everything she did, too.

Every time he tried to speak, she cut him off either by pressing her fingers to his lips or by kissing him. He wondered so very much about her. What was she hiding? Why wouldn't she talk to him? He couldn't think of any solutions at all.

***

Fat droplets of rain fell down upon them on the eighth week they were together. She still didn't speak, but he felt closer to her than ever. His heart was lost and he knew it. They stayed in the forest with no human contact beside each other's and were happy that way. They spent much of their time walking through the trees and exploring their home.

Though on this particular day, they'd been in the middle of making love when she'd suddenly stood and stared towards the raining sky. Still far from sated, Cloud crawled up on his knees and ran his tongue over her flat stomach to try to lure her back down to the ground. She kept staring, searching for something, even as her body betrayed her and arched into his wandering hands.

His body yearned to taste her again as he flicked his tongue over every inch of skin he could reach. When she failed to comply, he slowly raised himself to his feet and pulled her into his arms, whispering, "What's wrong?"

As he expected, she didn't answer. He sighed once before lifting her off her feet and laid her gently on the grass. She didn't fight him, but had a faraway look deep in her pools of purity. He knelt above her and leaned down to kiss her, trying to ease her troubles away in the only way he could.

She reacted as she had over the many weeks, back arching and hands trailing along to let him know she needed him, too. He moved down and pressed soft kisses to her neck and collarbone, whispering, "I want to know more about you… I want to hear your voice. I want to know where you're from, how you got here, what your dreams are… Things you can only tell me with your voice. Please, make a sound for me. I want to hear you react to our pleasures…"

She shook her head beneath him, unwilling to offer any more acknowledgement. His shoulders sagged in disappointment and he started to pull back. Her hands came up and wrapped around his shoulders, stopping him from getting too far.

She blinked, the tears in her eyes telling him all he needed to know. He leaned down again, pressing his mouth to hers and tasting the sweetness he'd come to love; kissing the woman he'd come to love. He moved to settle his knees between hers and rolled his hips to shift inside of her.

***

A deep feeling of foreboding filled him when he awoke the next morning, stark-naked and alone. He sat up and searched frantically for her, but located no trace. Her robe was gone and there was no print in the grass to show where she'd gone. He pulled himself to his feet and dressed, still looking.

It was as if she'd vanished into thin air. He bit back his tears, hoping that maybe she'd just gone for a walk and would be back soon. His darkest fears surfaced slightly as he thought that maybe he'd done something to upset her and she left. Or what if his original thoughts of her ensnaring men for pleasure were right? Was she just bored of him? So many possibilities. He sat down in the grass and hoped that she would yet return.

His eyes slowly drifted over to the red rose still growing in the center of the clearing and he made his way over to it. He sat down and watched it, not wanting to taint its beauty by touching it. He'd lost her that way. With no prompting whatsoever, a single petal dropped to ground.

Day after day, the same thing happened. One petal would fall to the ground each day she didn't return. Finally, he gave up hope and watched as the final petal fell. His heart felt like it was breaking as it fluttered down.

The second it touched the ground, Cloud watched as the world melted around him and disappeared into a black void far beneath his feet. His head grew heavy and his vision faded as he passed out into the darkness.

***

Cloud walked into an old-fashioned diner, listening to his brother and their friends talk. Zack, his steady girlfriend, Aerith, Sephiroth, Genesis, Angeal, and Vincent found a large booth and sat down as the waitress came over to take their orders. Her curly auburn hair was tied into two ponytails resting on her shoulders as she held a note pad up. They all named their dish of choice and she left again.

Cloud stayed quiet as his friends yammered on about random things. He couldn't get his dream of three weeks ago out of his head. That beautiful woman's face was still clear in his mind and he could recall the feelings he had when she touched him.

Zack's voice sounded above him as he stared at his soda. "Uh, excuse me?"

A female's voice he didn't recognize also spoke, "Hellooo?"

Cloud looked up and froze. There, standing by his table and staring at him, was his angel. She was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, but she looked every bit as beautiful as he remembered. A short Wutaian girl stood next to her, trying to pull her away. "Come _on,_ Teef!"

Cloud swallowed his doubts and finally spoke, "Can I help you?"

A small smile finally came to her face as she said, voice barely above a whisper, "You sound exactly like I imagined…"

Zack raised an eyebrow. "You two know each other?"

"Not yet," the ruby-eyed woman and Cloud said at the same time. A small smile passed between them before Cloud shook his head, just remembering his friends were there.

He slid out of the booth and said, "Could you guys excuse me for a bit? I think I need to talk to, uh…"

She smiled widely and supplied, "Tifa."

"Tifa and I need to talk. See you guys later." With that said, he waved over his shoulder and gently cupped Tifa's elbow before leading her to an empty table. They sat down opposite each other and took a moment to just watch the other.

Cloud raised a hand to scratch the back of his head. "So, uh…"

Tifa blushed and looked down at her lap. "Um…"

He took a deep breath and stuttered out, "This is going to sound crazy, but I had a dream a couple weeks ago and you were in it."

She raised her gaze to his for a moment, shock clear on her face. "You… You did, too?"

He nodded. "You did?"

"Living in a forest?"

"With the crystal clear lake?"

"And the single rose?"

"And running through the town?"

"The rain on that one night?"

"And we- I mean, I don't know what happened in your dream, so…"

Her blush came back with a furious glow. "That was in mine, too. But what I wanted the most was to hear your voice. You wouldn't talk no matter how much I wanted you to…"

"It was the opposite for me. You wouldn't talk. But your voice… it was worth waiting to hear."

"So… Now what?"

He reached out and took her hand resting on the table. "Well, if you want, I'd be curious to try something for real between us." He froze for a moment before adding, "Unless you already have a boyfriend?"

"Nope!" She shook her head and smiled slyly. "I _was_ single before now…"

A childish grin crossed his face and he leaned across the table to kiss her.

Back at the other table, Zack raised an eyebrow and nodded towards the two kissing across the table. The Wutaian girl who'd dropped down into the seat Cloud had occupied stole one of Vincent's french fries and pooped it into her mouth. "Geez. They didn't take long at all, did they?"

* * *

So, what did you think? It was meant to be left kind of ominous on purpose, so any speculations are welcome!

Review?

-Valk


	7. Heaven in Sector Seven

**Heaven in (Sector) Seven**

**Author**: Valk  
**Rating**: R  
**Warnings**: Really naughty Cloti Naughty, alcohol use, mild language, out-of-canon-ness.  
**Word Count**: 3,000  
**Prompt**: Cloud/Tifa: Mind games-- He was getting tired of her veiled looks and fleeting touches towards other men.  
**A/N**: Okay, so I saw this prompt and the first thing I thought was, 'I'll just do Tifa running her Seventh Heaven in post-ACC timeline. That works out well.' But then I thought, 'That's _so_ overdone. Let's do something new and interesting!' So I got this naughty mess of rather out-of-canon smex. Enjoy!

* * *

Tifa sighed to herself as she walked over to the door and flipped the switch to turn on the tacky neon 'Open' sign. She made her way back over to the sad excuse for a bar and started to get her drinks in order. As if on cue, heavy footsteps sounded from the upper level—same as they had for the past six nights—and she smiled as the owner of them walked in. "Hi, Cloud! How are you feeling today?"

Even if his answer was always the same, she still made a point to ask ever since she'd discovered him sick and incoherent just over a week ago. He grunted with his regular scowl in place before taking up his usual seat in the corner of the shabby bar.

She smiled to herself and picked up the bottle of whiskey before pouring a glass. Slipping out and between the tables, she walked over to the man in the corner and held the drink out towards him. He looked up at her and barely acknowledged her before taking the drink, swallowing a gulp of it, and setting it on the table. She looked up as the door opened and Biggs and Wedge came in, nodding to Tifa in greeting. They eyed Cloud warily before walking over to the pinball machine and riding it down to the secret lower level.

The brunette moved back behind the bar and looked up as a few customers came in. One man, a greasy-looking guy by the name of Jarl, came up to the bar and smirked saccharinely at her. She smiled back and tucked her hair behind her ear flirtatiously. "What would you like?" she asked.

Jarl's smile widened as he replied, "A nice hot something from you."

_And how about a foot up your ass? _She kept the smile up and giggled. "Maybe later. How about a drink?"

He grinned. "Alright. Howzabout a Soma Drop?"

"Alrighty. Coming right up!" she chirped as she reached under the counter and pulled out the necessary bottles to make his beverage. She slid the glass across the counter and bit back her scowl when his hand lingered over hers, forcing her grin to stay instead.

She slipped out from behind the counter with her tray and a few different kinds of liquor. Making her way over to one table, she started gathering empty glasses and poured refills for the patrons. She bit back a grimace and forced her hands to stay on the bottles in front of her when she felt Peras's hand graze over her butt. Biting down on her tongue, she resisted her urge to ram her palm into his chin.

She'd had too many instances in the past where she'd wounded her customers. She really couldn't afford to do it anymore. Money was scarce in the slums and she felt lucky that she could keep a business running below the plate. She didn't have the luxury of staying decent in this sort of environment. Besides, she could kick any of the skinny white asses in this room if she needed to. If it got really messy, she had a basement full of resistance fighters and her own personal ex-SOLDIER First Class hero to help her.

She knew he watched her while she worked. She'd felt his mako-blue eyes on her more than once, but he'd denied it when she asked him about it. He said he just wanted a drink and he figured he might as well get it from her. Sometimes, she wondered if he remembered his promise to protect her if she was in trouble. She blinked, just realizing she'd wound up at his table. Holding up the bottle of whiskey, she offered him a smile as he raised his still-partially-full glass for a refill.

She filled his glass again and smiled quickly before turning back to the bar. Her eyes trailed over to where he sat, slowly tipping his tumbler to his lips. She cocked her head in curiosity and watched those perfect, pale lips curve around the brim of his glass.

"Hey, Tifa!"

Her attention snapped up and focused on the tall man in front of her. She smiled and said, "Hey, Barret. Heading out?"

"Yep. Biggs, Wedge, Jessie, an' me are gonna go hit up the town. You gonna be okay here on your own?"

"Of course. I'll be fine. Cloud's here if something goes horribly wrong."

The large man grunted. "Huh. Still don' trust that punk."

"I've known Cloud since we were children. He's a good man, Barret."

"That's what you say, but there's sumtin' off about that boy."

"Trust me, Barret. I know Cloud."

"Ehh… If you say so. Marlene's already asleep, so she shouldn't be a problem for ya. We're gonna head out now. We got a train to catch."

"Okay. Have fun, Barret! Good luck!"

He saluted with his left, normal hand and called over his shoulder, "Will do!"

Tifa turned her attention back to the bar and smiled at her next customer. Her night went on as a blur of pouring drinks, cleaning glasses, and shaking off inappropriate touches from sleazy men. She gave a sigh as she started to clean up and raised her voice to say, "Okay! It's officially closing time! Everyone out!"

Various grumbles sounded as the customers all stood and moved to the counter to pay off their tabs. Slowly, the dank room emptied out, leaving behind the smell of smoke and alcohol. Tifa set about her routine, picking up her tray and shifting through the tables to turn off her 'Open' sign and start gathering all the empty glasses.

_I don't get it… They all came to the counter to pay. Why couldn't they just bring their glasses over, too?_ She shook her head and moved back behind the bar, turning on the water tap to refill the sink with hot water for dishes. She added the soap and turned off the water when it got full enough, gasping when she felt a warm body move up behind her.

She froze. _I thought all the customers left!_ Turning quickly, she found herself face-to-face with… mako-blue? Her hands grasped onto the counter edge beside her and gripped it tightly as she leaned away from his close proximity. "C-Cloud… What are you…?"

He leaned a little closer, tipping his chin up next to her ear and whispered, "Mine."

She pulled back to look him in the eye. "Huh…?"

"You heard me."

The sound of clinking glass interrupted her thoughts and she glanced down to her side to see Cloud's hand digging underneath the bar before pulling out a bottle of whiskey. He popped the cap off with his thumb and took a swig before offering it to Tifa. She stared at him in shock before asking, "Are you _drunk?_"

He looked her right in the eye and replied, "Do I look drunk?"

She glanced down and took note of his firm stance, focused gaze, and his heavenly scent of freshly-fallen rain and freedom. Her eyes locked back onto his as she admitted, "No, you don't."

"Exactly." He tipped the bottle closer to her again, silently offering her a drink. She shook her head 'no' and pressed her back as close to the counter as she could. The bottle came closer to her lips as he pressed it there.

Her senses went wild from being this close to him, but she forced herself to keep her head and closed her lips tightly to prevent herself from being weakened by alcohol. As a result, when he angled the bottle too far, the whiskey dribbled down her chin and neck to absorb onto her white top. She raised a hand and knocked the drink back, slowly licking her lips to cleanse them of liquor. She braced her fingers against his chest—his nicely-muscled chest—and pushed a little. "C-Cloud… Now I have to clean my shirt," she managed, for a lack of anything more intelligent to say.

A slow, dangerous smirk crossed his features. Tifa leaned back further, swallowing at the first smile she'd seen since she'd found him by the train station and, Goddess, did it make her feel something that her childhood friend should never make her feel. His free hand slowly moved from the counter edge to slip up her side and up under her short-cut shirt. His low voice rumbled, "Well, then. The first step to that would be taking it off."

She gasped. "C-Cloud, I…" Her heart hammered in her chest as he shifted to set the bottle on the counter and ran his right hand up to mirror his left. In one, quick motion, her shirt was off and being thrown across the room. She crossed her arms over her chest to try to hide herself while crying out, "Cloud! What are you _doing?_"

His hands settled back on her waist before pulling her against him. She felt a chill run down her spine as he brought his lips up beside her ear, nibbling softly on the lobe before shifting to whisper, "I'm your hero, right? No one else."

She felt a strange heat building in the pit of her stomach and blinked, trying not to lose focus. "Cloud, I… What are you…?"

He shifted roughly, pressing his mouth to hers in an openmouthed kiss. She wormed around beneath his dominating presence, gasping against his mouth when she rubbed against his rock-hard erection. Shifting one hand up to hook on her bra, he swiftly unfastened it and pulled it down her shoulders.

"Seriously, Tifa. The clothes you wear are completely inappropriate for your line of work," he said as his other hand moved to settle at the small of her back. She let out a sharp exhale as it slowly slipped a little farther down. He pulled back slowly, moving to stand about a foot from her, and reached down to pull his standard-issue SOLDIER sweater from his belt. Taking it all the way, he pulled it off over his head and tossed it over to join her shirt.

Her eyes flicked down briefly to look at his chest and tight abdominal muscles before looking him in the eyes. He reached up with a sweet tenderness—unlike what he'd already shown—in his actions and pushed her hair back behind her ear.

She glanced down at his lips subconsciously, watching the way they slowly curled into a gentle smile. He leaned closer, kissing her with a soft, yet intense, passion. She felt herself start to melt under his gentler approach and raised her hands to wrap around his shoulders and pull him close. His hands slowly shifted around front of her and pulled at her belt, freeing her leather skirt and letting it drop to the floor.

One of his hands wrapped tightly around her waist while the other reached behind her. She heard a vague sloshing sound before he turned sharply, twisting to drop down onto his back. She stared at him with wide eyes, the constant surprise in her mind belying the warmth she felt between her thighs.

He rolled, putting her on the bottom, and shifted to brace his knees on either side of her. She crossed her arms in front of her, feeling awkward while being almost completely naked in front of the man she'd had a one-sided crush on for years. Or what she'd _thought_ to be one-sided. Her eyes trailed over to see that accursed bottle of whiskey back in his hand and a naughty smirk on his face.

She felt her breathing increase and her heartbeat quicken as he leaned closer and pressed a kiss to her mouth. Her body reacted on instinct and she threw her hands around his neck and pulled him closer, slowly losing her mind to his constant advances.

He pulled back as quickly as he'd gone in, leaning back to watch her heaving chest as she gasped for air. His smirk slowly grew as he glanced back and forth between her chest and the bottle of whiskey in his hand.

Tifa watched as he brought it closer and tipped it, pouring the contents onto her bare body. She gasped as the warm liquid splashed against her skin and released a small squeal as she felt his tongue run over her collarbone. The moan that slipped through her lips when he bent down to lick between her full breasts was unlike any sound she'd ever heard herself make.

He sat up a little straighter, shifting off of her to hook his hand into her underwear and pull them down. She shuddered slightly, blushing as he stared at her naked body. He raised the bottle again, pouring the amber beverage down her toned stomach, pausing to dribble a fair amount over her navel. He bent down again and closed his lips around her belly button and started to suck the whiskey from inside.

Her back arched by some instinct she didn't know she had, resulting in her stomach pressing closer to his mouth. His left hand reached down to grab hold of her right knee, bringing it up to bend slightly. He shifted to sit between her knees and slipped two fingers into her folds.

Her lips parted, but no sound came out as she gaped at him in shock. He smirked up at her before using his fingers to push her petals apart while moving the whiskey closer. She shook her head on the filthy wooden floor, panting, "Oh, no, you don't, Cloud Strife!"

His grin widened as he started to pour the liquor into her very core. She gasped and leaned back, using her heels to raise her buttocks off the floor. He leaned closer to her, dipping his tongue inside for a drink of whiskey mixed with the heady taste of her arousal. Her head rolled back and her stomach tightened as he shifted his tongue in a purely fiendish way.

She felt a heat, unlike she'd ever known, build up in the pit of her stomach, threatening to burst free. Her moment of release came and she clamped down, crying at the top of her lungs, "Oh, Goddess!"

Cloud's lips curled into a smile and he stayed where he was, feeling her come against his mouth. He gave a low moan and finally pulled back, whispering, "You taste better than you look right now… And I didn't think it was possible to find anything more beautiful than you are at this moment…"

She panted, looking up at him in a completely new light, and smiled softly with her approval. His hand reached down to unbuckle the both of his belts before unfastening the button and fly of his pants. He crawled up closer to her and leaned down to kiss her again, pulling back slightly to whisper, "Tifa… You have no idea how long I've wanted this…"

She sighed against the heat coming back for a second time and mumbled back, "Cloud… Have you ever wondered if I wanted it, too?"

"Too many times. I never thought you did, though… I always thought… I thought you never saw me. That you didn't even know who I was."

"Cloud, that's… Just… hurry. Show me how much you want this."

He shifted to glance down, lining himself up to her, before locking his eyes onto hers and kissing her. Slowly, he shifted his hips to gradually work his way into her. She groaned, feeling his penetration thrust deep into her. Her jaw tightened at the slight pain, but she forced herself to ignore it and focus on the pleasures his fullness was coursing through her body.

A low growl started deep in his throat and passed through his lips as he started to roll his hips, grinding them against hers. She started to shift hers a little awkwardly, having no idea what to do. The pleasure spiked when their bodies moved just right and she gave a breathless gasp, reaching her hands out to dig her nails into his shoulders.

The sensations burned as she felt herself break for the second time. This time, Cloud gave a grunt and released at the same time, pulling her to him as he did.

Completely drained and sated, she fell back out of exhaustion while letting her arms drop out to the sides. Keeping them joined, he leaned down to gently press soft kisses to her neck.

They laid together for a long moment, content to stay in each other's arms. The door to the bar opened and they both froze, just finally remembering they weren't the only ones living here. Barret's heavy voice called out, "Okay, I'm gonna go see my baby girl! You all have the rest of the night off!"

Jessie's soft voice spoke, "I think I'll just go to bed… It's been a long day."

Wedge grunted a sound of acknowledgement. "Yeah, me, too."

Cloud and Tifa still didn't dare to breathe as they waited for the last member of AVALANCHE to say something. Biggs gave a contented sigh as the crack of muscle being stretched sounded. "I think I'll get a drink first. Tifa won't mind, I think."

Tifa bit her lip as Cloud buried his face in her neck. She looked up as Biggs's head poked over the countertop, his face quickly transitioning from tired to shocked as he let out a "Gah!"

The brunette shot him one of her famed dagger glares as Jessie's voice asked, "What is it, Biggs?"

Biggs shook his head, grabbing a beer before turning away from the young couple and saying, "Oh, nothing. It looks like Tifa just mauled another customer who looked at her the wrong way."

* * *

Okay, this is _long_ overdue, but I wanted to point out to those of you following 'Words' that the series for 'Blood, Sweat, and Tears' is up and running… for about twelve chapters. It's posted under the same name and it just finally occurred to me that some of you might want to know what happens next :P

Anyway, this story you just read was written for Springkink on LJ. I have no idea what possessed me write something like this, but, well, I did. I hope you all enjoyed and, please, no pies in the face.

Review?

-Valk


	8. There and Back Again

**Title**: There and Back Again  
**Author**: Valk  
**Rating**: M  
**Warnings**: Sex  
**Word Count**: 1800  
**Prompt**: Final Fantasy VII, Cloud/Tifa: love/hate relationship— there were times when she hated him for being able to reduce her to a quivering mess after his long absences.  
**A/N**: I hope this is what the prompter wanted (I know who you are!), or at least a semblance. I always love Tifa as the warrior who fights for what's right, but I'm not sure I captured her well. Well, I captured her as I see her, a fighter, but still unable to resist Cloud—for long.

Also, I seem to get a lot of comments about how there's no protection involved in my smutfics. I'd just like to add a note here saying that it's supposed to be implied and that I don't mention that sort of thing unless extremely relevant. Just as I like to keep my smex 'clean' by avoiding vulgar terminology and really graphic details… Maybe someday, but I'm content with sweet, romantic passion for now.

* * *

The back door shut quietly, but Tifa heard it regardless. Soft footsteps followed and, like a shadow, the man she loved appeared in the doorway. His eyebrows rose when he saw her sitting at the bar, nursing a clear-colored drink. A sniff or two and he realized; seltzer water? After kicking off his boots and shrugging off his sword harness, he made his way over to her and sat on the stool beside her.

She watched out of the corner of her eye as his hand reached closer and moved to touch her arm. Shrugging her shoulder, she brushed away his attentions and gulped the rest of her drink. She slid off her stool and pushed past him towards the stairs. He quickly followed and caught her elbow on her way upstairs.

His blue eyes shot her a silent question and she gave an exasperated sigh. She pulled her arm free and kept walking. "I'm sick of this!"

He ran a hand through his blond hair and replied, "Me leaving?"

She stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to face him. "Marlene and Denzel are gone now… They're with Barret for the year and I'm all alone here when you go on your random trips. I never know how long you'll be gone or when you'll be leaving again. I'm just sick of it!"

"Tifa, wait-!" He jogged up the stairs after her and into their bedroom. "Tifa, please. You know I have to go…"

She paused by their bed and grabbed her pillow, punching it into shape before throwing it back down. "Cloud, I don't understand why you can't find a local job. You say you're done being a loner; that you're happy here with me and the kids, and yet you still run off on a job you don't need! I'm sure Reeve can transfer you to a less dangerous job that pays well."

He stood back by the door and watched her as she grabbed his pillow and started punching it. "Tifa… I… All I know is fighting. I can't do a job that doesn't involve the occasional monster killing."

She set the pillow down on the bed right in front of her and turned to glare at him with angry tears in her eyes. "And don't you think I worry about you? You've come home so many times, leaking blood on the floor as if you were trailing mud into the house! How am I supposed to react to that?"

His eyes trailed across the wooden floorboards before finding her feet and tracing up her figure. "Tifa, you know I never leave without a Restore. I can Cure easily enough if it gets bad. You don't need to worry about me."

She turned back to the pillow and kept punching it with more force than before. "Cloud, it's not a conscious decision if I worry about you or not! I started worrying the moment I fell in love with you!"

He walked over to her and set a hand on her shoulder. "Tifa…"

"Forget it," she snapped, thrusting his pillow into his hands. "Have a goodnight on the couch."

"Tifa, listen to me-" he pleaded in his own unique way. She was probably the only one who knew he was to the begging point. She was the only one who understood most of his thoughts and helped him reach his dreams. She was the one who always stood beside him and who made love to him after a hard day's work. She was the only one strong enough not to be intimidated by him and kick him out to the couch.

He gave a sigh and stepped closer to her, setting the pillow on the bed next to her while leaning in to press soft kisses to her neck. She glared at him and twisted away, falling back on the bed in the process. Wasting no time, he climbed up beside her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She struggled against his hold, fighting to hold her ground.

His index finger pressed against her lips to silence her, whispering a gentle, "Shh…" He rolled to climb above her and softly pressed his lips to hers, holding her close to savor in her scent. It had been six weeks since he'd last held her and he didn't want his job to get in between them—again. His hands trailed down her muscled frame and slipped up the bottom of her oversized sleep shirt.

She made a noise of protest against his lips. He'd kept her worried for six long weeks. She wasn't about to crumble and give him what he wanted, even if she wanted it, too. Given her current position, she could easily slam her knee into him and get him right off, but she didn't want to ruin her chances of having a family because of a marital spat. Instead, she twisted to place her knee against his opposite hip to try to shove him off of her.

He braced his arms around her shoulders and, when he rolled, he took her with him while keeping his mouth attached to hers. Against her will, her body started to relax in his arms and she pulled back, pulling her pajamas off over her head and throwing them across the room. Cloud gave her a smirk of approval and made quick work of his travel gear and filthy clothes before pulling her close again.

She rolled to the bottom again and shifted against the rough bedspread to get comfortable as he quickly found base inside of her. A moan of contentment sounded from deep in his throat as they moved together, finding that perfect synchronization mastered through years of companionship. Within moments, the pleasure they'd both longed for over the past weeks was coursing through them, completing them.

Tifa looked up at her husband and ran her fingers through his hair, happy to have him home despite her inner anger at their earlier conversation. He gave her a genuine smile and slowly pulled out of her, climbing back off the bed. She mewled a sound of complaint, still far from sated, and reached her arms out for him.

His smile widened as he pulled her to his feet and kissed her passionately before pulling her with him to the bathroom. She hummed a question against his lips as he stopped near the shower tub. He simply smiled a response and started the warm water jet before lifting Tifa easily into the tub. She gave him a sarcastic expression as he stepped in next to her, leaning in to kiss her again while pressing her to the tiled wall.

She kissed him back slowly and wound her leg around his knee seductively before pushing him back under the spray. Her hands massaged over his scalp roughly to dampen his lofty spikes before grabbing the shampoo and lathering the dirt from the road out of his hair. Once he was clean, he pulled the shampoo from her and cleansed her silken curtain of hair. They took turns with the soap and washed each other's bodies—rubbing the bar over every inch of skin.

Tifa took her time lathering the soap over his lower extremities and smiled as she got her desired effect. He gripped her wrist to get her to stop and barely managed to get himself inside her before he broke for the second time. The feel of his climax within her sent her towards oblivion and she started to tremble against him. He slipped one hand around her waist and the other down between them to rub at her clit. That simple action was enough to break her barriers and she slumped down against his muscled chest.

They panted together, enjoying the feel of slick and wet flesh upon their own. Tifa finally reached around him and turned off the water tap before pressing her palms against his chest to kiss him again. His hands slipped down her back and over her rump to grab hold of her thighs and lift her against him. He stepped out of the shower, still holding her, with practiced ease.

She reached out blindly and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around both of their shoulders as he continued back to the bedroom. Her hands shifted the towel over his hair to dry it before drying her own as best she could. He sighed and whipped the tan cotton out of her hands and threw it on the floor, twisting to fall back on the bed with her above him.

She smiled down at him and closed her fingers around the bedsheets to pull them down, rolling with her husband to get on the smooth sheets. Cloud grabbed the blankets and pulled them back over them. He adjusted his position slightly to make for a new angle before beginning to thrust into her once more. Her hands immediately tightened in his hair, nails digging into his scalp while he shifted his lips over to nibble at her ear.

Her legs twisted up behind him to lock her ankles together and pull him closer. His fullness moving against her insides and his fingers rubbing over that sensitive spot just above their joining quickly sent her head spinning for the third time that night and she wasn't sure how much more she could take. Judging by his more regulated, aggressive thrusts, he was on the verge of losing it again, too.

As if on an unspoken agreement, they broke at the exact same moment and clung to one another's sweat-coated body as they struggled to catch their breath. Cloud slowly pulled out of her and dropped to the side and she curled into his side, resting her head on his chest while her fingers played at one of his many scars. He leaned down to kiss her damp hair and pull her closer as she whispered in the dark room, "Cloud…?"

He hummed his acknowledgement, "Hm?"

She licked her lips and pressed a kiss to his chest. "Can you please get a job closer to home? I…"

"Tifa, we've been through this before."

She pushed herself to a slightly inclined position and looked him in the eye. "Yes, I know, but what if I told you things are different now?"

He locked his gaze onto hers, confusion swirling in the oceanic depths. "What do you mean?"

"Cloud, after you left…" She smiled lightly at him. "I found out I'm pregnant. We're having a baby."

His jaw hung loosely for a moment as he digested this new information. "Tifa, that's… I… We… Are you…?" He fell back into the pillow and pressed his free hand to his forehead while the information sunk in. He pushed himself to an inclined position and kissed her before replying, "I'll talk to Reeve first thing in the morning."

Her hand flew up to her heart and tears filled her eyes. "Thank you, Cloud." She settled in against him and whispered, a smile clear on her lips, "I think we'll have to turn your office into a nursery."

* * *

Thoughts?

-Valk


	9. Beneath the Blood Red Light

**Title**: Beneath the Blood Red Light  
**Author**: Valk  
**Rating**: M  
**Warnings**: Sex, talk of death, mild tweaks to canon  
**Word Count**: 2,750  
**Prompt**: Final Fantasy VII: Tifa/Cloud, Comfort Sex, "Holy failed, and they only have 24 hours to live."  
**A/N**: I doubt this is what the prompter really wanted, but I wrote what came. As failed with the prompt itself, Holy didn't actually come… The Lifestream didn't burst free, either, but it still works with the general theme of the prompt. Hope everyone enjoys!

_

* * *

_

The Highwind

soared through the air, everyone sitting in silence as they wondered what went wrong. Killing Sephiroth should have stopped Meteor… right? Cloud and Tifa sat in the stable with the chocobo they had on board, the latter gently touching the bird's feathers. Cloud sat on the crate of bird feed in the back with his arms crossed, watching her.

He gave a sigh and stood to walk behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She gave a small gasp of surprise and immediately tried to push him back, hissing in the deathly silence, "Cloud! The others are all out there! They'll see us-!"

"I don't care." He nuzzled his chin in her hair, breathing in the battle-worn scent of blood and gore stained on her scraps of clothing mixed with her unique smell. "Let them see. I'd hate myself forever if we died without you knowing how I feel… How I've always felt."

She gasped against his chest. That night… She gave a small sigh of relief and fell back into him. It hadn't just been about the sex. His words—or attempts at them—had made her feel safe and willing at the time, but the morning after she had started to doubt it. The timing was a bit too convenient…

It was the night before they ventured into the Northern Crater to find and kill Sephiroth once and for all. Seeing as to how Cloud was the strongest member of their group, there was a high chance he'd be doing most of the fighting against him—as he had indeed done—and an equal chance he might not have come out of there alive. It's only natural he'd be afraid and want comfort.

But now, as death loomed overhead in the form of burning iron and nickel, she began to wonder. Was this just the same instance? Did he just want comfort? Could Cloud really be that shallow? She didn't think so. He'd always been one of the strongest and most resilient men she'd ever known. Even as his mind had shattered, he still went on strong… with her help, he'd insisted.

Slowly, she turned around in his arms to face him and set her palms on either side of his face. Soft and smooth, she realized. Even with all the time spent in a cave, fighting battle after battle, he still had a clean shaven face. Did mako stunt facial hair growth? Who could say? She couldn't remember hearing of any famous SOLDIERs with beards or moustaches.

She touched her forehead to his and whispered, "Cloud… What do you mean, 'How you feel'?"

He swallowed his spit and shook his head, realizing there was no point in holding back anymore. Even if she rejected him, they'd be dead soon enough and his pain of denial would fade. Gently, he nuzzled her nose with his and, with closed eyes, said, "I love you, Tifa. I always have."

Even though she hoped he'd reply with something to that extent, she couldn't hold back her gasp of surprise when his voice spoke the words. As soon as she regained her senses, she threw her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close. Tears filled her vision and she tried to wipe them away on the fabric of his black sweater.

His arms tightened around her as he ran his knuckles over her back. "Ever since we were kids in Nibelheim… I left home to join SOLDIER so I could be strong enough to protect you… So I could be a man worthy of your love."

"Cloud…" She hiccupped, hating the fact that they could finally be wholly and truly together on the day the planet was condemned to death. "C-can we… Can we go somewhere to be alone? Where there's nobody else?"

Cloud pulled back from their embrace and gently rubbed her tears away with his thumbs before leaning closer and pressing a kiss to her lips. "Of course… I know just the place. No one will find us there. I'll ask Cid to drop us off."

…

Cloud pulled her through the demolished hallways and over fallen pillars. He kept his hand around hers the whole time they moved, pushing roadblocks out of the way with his free hand. "Come on. Just a little more. We should be at the top soon."

She watched him for a moment before they continued moving. "Cloud…?"

He glanced back over his shoulder as he stepped around a Second Class SOLDIER impaled by a piece of shrapnel. "What is it, Tifa?"

"Why here?"

He smiled, really and truly _smiled_ as he pulled her up the more intact set of stairs leading to the top floor. Gesturing towards the open space where windows once stood, he said, "Look."

She took a few steps closer to the center of the large office and watched the red firelight of Meteor casting its demonic glare upon Gaia. Somehow, when here, so high off the ground—not to mention alone with Cloud—, the light seemed more… _beautiful_.

He walked up next to her and set a hand around her waist. They watched the red light shift slightly as nature danced with it and, slowly, Cloud leaned closer to whisper in her ear, "Plus, Rufus always pissed me off. It'd be some nice payback to do it on his desk."

She stuttered a laugh at his innuendo and froze, staring at the look in his eye that clearly stated he was serious. Was this really happening? Were they seriously going to have sex? In the rickety remnants of the top floor of the Shin-Ra building?

He shifted around front of her, touched a hand to her chin, and kissed her gently. All the memories of the only night she'd been able to kiss him—all of him—came flooding back. Their hands pulling at each other's clothes, her trying to get that tedious armor off of him, his hands on her bare body, the feeling of pain mixed with ultimate pleasure as he penetrated her virginity, the awakening bliss of their simultaneous orgasms…

She opened her eyes to study him, only to realize that his gloves and cursed armor were already off. She sighed and pulled him closer to her as he ducked down to kiss her neck, slipping one hand down under her short skirt to tease her through her underwear.

A gasp and a shiver escaped her at the same time, his bold foreplay something they hadn't tampered with last time. Her breathing started to increase and her throat felt dry as he pushed her panties aside and delved straight into her. He kept his other hand tight around her back to hold her tight against him as he played at her core. Her throat kept tightening and she pressed her mouth to his, coaxing her tongue into his mouth.

Her oral domination started to fail as he slipped a third finger into the works and he moved his tongue into her mouth, probing as deep as he could. She shuddered against him and dug her hands into his hair for the mere support. His fingers moved faster and faster, prompting her release as soon as possible and she could only wonder how he knew what to do. He had to be as inexperienced as she; maybe less, if you considered what she saw on day-to-day life in the slums.

Her release came and her teeth clamped down on his tongue out of the sheer pleasures coursing through her body. It only lasted a moment, but the aftershock had her almost falling against him to stay vertical. He removed his hand from her folds and wrapped both around her waist to help support her.

As soon as she recovered, she looked up at him in pure happiness, a wide smile on her face as he lifted her and carried her over to the desk. He sat her down and, after removing his shirt and undoing his belts, climbed above her. She shoved her suspenders off and reached down, whipping her top over her head.

He looked at her, the fiery glow making her burgundy eyes shine a brighter red, and said in a hushed tone, "Tifa… I want to do this right. If you think I'm moving too fast, just say something, okay?"

She gave a laugh at his seemingly kind gesture. "At this point in the relationship, 'appropriate' consists of flowers and dinner." Pointing up at the sky above them, she finished, "We don't exactly have the luxury of time."

He gave a small laugh of his own as he realized the idiocy in his statement, but raised his eyes back to hers. "Tifa, I love you and I wish I could do more… I left home so I could protect you, but, look, all I did was fail you time and again… Now you're… you're going to die anyway."

"Cloud." She took hold of his chin and turned his gaze back to hers. "This isn't your fault. Meteor… It's all of our fault. We were supposed to fight Sephiroth together and we all failed together. I can die a blessed woman, though, knowing you did everything you did for me. I'll die, here, in this dilapidated building, in your arms."

He thought about her words for a moment and then raised his eyes back to hers, nodding. "We'll die here together. I… couldn't ask for a better way to die than in your arms. I just wish you didn't have to die, too…"

"Cloud…"

He buried his face in her hair, gradually resuming their earlier actions. "Hm?"

"I love you, too. I…" She leaned her head back and arched her back as he started pressing soft kisses to her neck. "I don't feel like I deserve you, though. I was such a stupid girl… I just watched as all the other kids picked on you… I didn't do a thing…"

"No, but you didn't help them, either. It's okay, Tifa. That's in the past."

"Mm… Cloud?"

"Eh?" He shifted down and pulled the belt to her skirt free and whipped it clean off. He bent down and pursed his lips around the nipple of one of her breasts, gently kneading the other with his hand.

Her back arched further into him and she felt herself heat up again. "Mm… What… What do you think… death is like…?"

He raised his head from his task, moving his other hand to take his mouth's place, and ran his tongue over her collarbone before answering, "Seeing as to how it's the Lifestream, I imagine there's a lot of green."

She managed a strangled chuckle and raised her hips off the desk, rubbing her body against his in desperation. He took the hint and moved one hand from her breasts to unfasten his pants. She took over and shoved his pants down, struggling a little around his already fully erect member. Her fingers treaded over him to give a few experimental strokes and she asked in pure curiosity, "Are all SOLDIERs this big?"

He settled down between her thighs and gave his hips a shove to get inside of her. "Why? Do you know anyone else?"

She shoved at his shoulders and gasped as he pushed further into her. "No… I was just wondering if this"—She gasped again—"was natural or if mako had an effect…"

He stopped moving as he got hilt-deep and answered, "As far as I remember, it's natural. But, for all I know, Hojo fucked with my memories more than I can guess."

She pressed her lips to his in a passionate kiss to try to drive away his nightmares. It seemed to work, because he kissed her back and started his hips with a gentle roll. Tifa relaxed as best she could and let herself blend with him, physically and emotionally. Learning from her inexperience last time, she surprised him with her own roll of hips.

As a foolish teenager, she imagined sex to be a horrible act only men enjoyed and forced a woman to participate in; i.e. rape. As she got older and her friends started talking about their boyfriends and what they were doing, she began to get curious. Her memories would drift to the boy who'd lived next door and, when she found herself home alone one day, she'd tried it on herself. Nothing she'd heard of had worked, so she gave up for awhile.

Eventually, not until a few years later and living with Barret in the slums, did she actually succeed in breaking herself. She hadn't tried often, but when she did, she found herself so close, but unable to go all the way.

Now, actually experiencing it with a partner—no, Cloud—she couldn't even begin to describe how she felt. It only took four days since a sort-of confession and they were already having sex for the second time. If she were more conscientious of what she was doing, she'd wonder if maybe they were both just in it for the physical aspect.

"Tifa…" Cloud whispered her name in the darkness, gradually speeding up his actions. "I love you. I know I do. I fell in love with you even before I knew what love was. Whatever happens here, tonight, tomorrow, whenever, I'll always love you…"

Her arms pulled tighter to him as her inner muscles started to squeeze around his length. "Oh, Cloud… I… I just wish… I wish you'd never left home. I wish you'd stayed in Nibelheim. I wish we could have been together without all these battles…"

"Tifa." His tempo increased even more as she started to close around him. "Tifa," he repeated, "You know as well as I do we never would have been together if I hadn't left."

Her head rolled back and she gave a grunt of pleasure at the heat in her stomach contradicting with the cool metal beneath her back. "That's not true… I thought of you every day after we met at the well."

"I only asked you out there to tell you I was leaving. If I hadn't left, we wouldn't have met there."

"Fine. I wish our home was never lost. I wish our parents were still alive, I wish Meteor wasn't coming, I wish you had fulfilled your promise, made SOLDIER, and came home. I wish we could have loved each other in a different place and time…"

"Tifa…" The time for words was over. He spoke all his love for her with every thrust of his body, every touch to her skin, every kiss to her lips. Her body reacted in ways that were so beautiful, he could only tell her by thrusting faster and kissing her longer.

Their bodies reached a simultaneous high and she shattered only seconds before he joined her. They held each other tightly under the bright red sky, loving each other with everything they had. The waves of pleasure consumed them, overtaking them with the need to scream. In the end, neither could hold back and their cries of joy sounded out.

Tifa slumped down and Cloud quickly rolled over to lie back on the desk as she snuggled up against him. He kicked his pants and boxers off the rest of the way as she pressed her forehead into his chest and whispered, "Cloud…? I'm scared…"

He pulled her closer and kissed her head. "So am I."

"Do you think we'll reincarnate together?"

He thought about his answer for a moment and replied, "Honestly? No."

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and bit her lip. "I see…"

"I think that, since the world is going to be destroyed, we'll spend the rest of eternity together in the Lifestream, free to do as we please."

She smiled amidst her tears. "You really think so?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I never want to let you go, ever again."

"Then don't. We're here, together for such a short time, and yet, together forever."

"Yeah…" He settled down again and kissed her hair. "Tifa…"

She met his eyes without moving too much. "Mm?"

"I love you. I'll find you in the Lifestream."

* * *

I was pretty happy with how this one came out. What do you think?

Review, please?

-Valk


	10. Mine

**Title**: Mine  
**Author**: Valk  
**Rating**: M  
**Warnings**: Implied sex, manipulation, darkness  
**Word Count**: 1059  
**Prompt**: Final Fantasy VII, Zack/Tifa/Cloud: threesome— they were her SOLDIERs and she wasn't willing to share them with anyone.  
**A/N**: While I am well aware that Tifa's eyes are indeed red, I used the misconception of them being brown to my advantage here.

I wrote this for the last round of Springkink in July and finally remembered to upload it here. I know I fail.

...

The sound of the floorboards creaking jerked her awake and she shot up, glaring at the dark-haired man creeping towards the door. She slipped out of the king-sized four-poster bed and slunk closer to him, stark-naked. "Now, now, Zack… Don't you know it gets me upset when you try to sneak out on me?"

He pressed his back against the door, fear entering his violet eyes. "Don't hurt me, please!"

She walked over to him and pressed a palm to his finely-toned chest. "I never like to hurt my boys. If only you'd cooperate like Cloud…" She glanced back at the bed to see the blond now awake and watching the scene curiously. "Now, then, Zack. Get ready."

He pressed back against the door as best he could as she pressed forward to kiss him. As their lips touched, two jet-black wings shot out of her back, just next to her shoulder blades. Her breasts pushed up between them and when she pulled back, her former brown eyes burned a blood red. Still, Cloud watched with an emotionless expression on his face, waiting for them to return to bed.

Tifa pulled back and smiled at the bright shade of blue Zack's eyes now glowed. She slipped her fingers into his and pulled him back to the bed while her wings retracted into perfect, pale flesh once more. Cloud extended a hand to help her up and she gave him a kiss in appreciation as Zack climbed up behind her. He pressed his lips to the base of her spine while she continued to reward the blond for his obedience.

Zack grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down on top of him, laughing. Cloud grasped her upper arms and pressed his mouth to hers while she wiggled happily between her two SOLDIERs. They tussled under the bedsheets, keeping each other warm when the cold night settled in.

…

Tifa yawned and stretched as the sun streamed in the windows, the drab sound of a newscaster's voice filling her ears. She glared at Cloud, who sat at the end of the bed with the television remote in his hand. He turned when he heard the bedcovers rustling and glanced at Tifa. Zack still lay sprawled out in the bed, snoring loudly and off in some dreamland far away.

Cloud gestured to the television with the remote towards the image of his and Zack's official SOLDIER pictures plastered on the screen with the caption, 'Search for missing SOLDIERs gathers heat.' He turned back to her and said, "They're catching on. We can't keep this up for too much longer."

She ran a red fingernail down his chin. "Don't worry, love, they'll never find us. You and Zack will be safe with me."

He leaned in to kiss her, gently tipping her chin up to reach his lips. "How can you be so sure? They said they're tracking us… I just don't want anything to happen to you. I love you."

She looked straight into his eyes, mesmerizing him with the blood-red shade. "No one will find us. I will keep us safe, Cloud. I've killed all the others who came searching for you."

His focus faded a little as her powers took over him and he blinked before leaning down onto her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Tifa… I never meant to doubt you."

She ran her fingers through his soft hair and murmured, "There, there, Cloud… We're all happy here, right? You, me, and Zack? You two are my SOLDIERs, aren't you?"

He smiled up at her. "Of course we are."

She smiled, her palm pressing against his shoulder to push him back on the bed. "That's my boy. How about a reward for you?"

His smile widened as he set his hands on her hips. "If you think I deserve one. You know I love your rewards."

Just then, Zack woke up and scowled. "Hey, now. Don't be leaving me out!"

Tifa looked up at him and smiled seductively. "Crawl in where you can, but this is Cloud's reward."

He grinned and moved down the plush bed to join in. Covers tousled and bodies rushed as the two males struggled against each other to please Tifa more.

…

A loud sound burst out against the door and Tifa jolted awake, her boys quick to follow. She climbed out of bed and slunk towards the door, her body bare as the afternoon sun beat through the open window. With a careless wave, she brushed away Cloud's offer for a bathrobe and released the bolts on the door. It burst open and several ShinRa SOLDIERs all pointed their weapons around.

They paused and looked around when the saw the two missing members of their army standing in the hotel room, naked and watching them barge in. Their eyes drifted over to the nude woman who stood by the open door, watching them.

She gave a sweet smile and, in an instant, her eyes flashed red and jet-black wings shot out of her back. One of the SOLDIERs took a half-step back with fear on his face. "I-it's you! Y-you're… Hojo's-!"

One of her delicate hands rose and a burst of energy shot from her palm, a blast unlike any materia known to mankind. Her smile gradually became more sinister as she replied, "And he certainly paid for that, didn't he? Have you finished scraping his remains off the wall yet?"

One of the SOLDIERs grunted from his place on the floor. "Agh… Damn it… No wonder all of our men disappear while searching…"

She raised her hands before her and a pearly white fire erupted between her palms. Her smile became sweet again as she said, "Sorry, but Zack and Cloud are _my_ boys. Hate to disappoint."

The two men watched blankly as pallid flame blasted through the hall, incinerating the squad of SOLDIERs before them.


	11. Patron

**Title**: Patron  
**Author**: Valk  
**Rating**: M  
**Warnings**: AU, Sex, Alcohol use  
**Word Count**: 3,400  
**Prompt**: Final Fantasy VII, Cloud/Tifa: Drunken behavior – Tifa decides that the best way to get Cloud to loosen up is to get herself drunk and make him have his way with her.  
**A/N**: The title is supposed to be puh-trown, as in the tequila, not pay-trun, as in one who pays for services.

I wrote this for the last round of Springkink in July and finally remembered to upload it here. I know I fail.

...

Tifa Lockhart sat on a stool in her apartment, staring at her homework due in two days. Mr. Tuesti had an obscene taste in architecture take-home quizzes. Her final semester and she needed to pass this quiz with flying colors if she wanted to keep up her four-point-oh GPA she'd had since freshman year.

She'd been distracted this semester because of… The door clicked open and her roommate walked in, dropping his backpack on the floor as he came in. Because of him. Her roommate last semester and his got engaged and decided to move in together. Tifa had a last-minute notice to find a new roommate and, turns out, so did he. They'd known each other because of Zack's and Aerith's relationship, so they finally decided to move in together for a lack of anyone else.

What Tifa failed to mention was her monstrous crush on Cloud. And now she lived with him, albeit in different rooms. The man didn't seem to realize that he lived with a woman now. He came out for breakfast in his boxer shorts and an undershirt and made the trip from his bathroom to his bedroom in a towel after his showers.

He never showed any sign of returning her feelings, so she kept hers to herself and tried so hard not to show them around him. Walking over, he dropped down on the stool next to her and just stared at what she was doing.

She felt a small blush creep onto her cheeks but forced it back. "Find something you like?"

"Architecture?"

She nodded and said, "Professor Tuesti's take-home quiz. Why?"

"No reason." He slid off the stool and walk around the counter, pulling a glass bottle a shot glass out.

Tifa raised an eyebrow. "Didn't your mother teach you to eat a healthy dinner?"

"Fuck dinner. After that midterm in Professor Highwind's class, I'll take the tequila."

She shook her head and rested her elbow on the counter. "Don't you have another midterm tomorrow?"

"No."

"I thought you had class tomorrow?"

"The exam isn't until the Friday class. I have three days to sober up."

She glanced down at her exam and then at the bottle of tequila. She'd always been the good student, never going to parties or getting drunk, constantly focusing on her grades instead. Cloud had never been big on the party scene, either, but he wasn't above drinking alone or with a small group of friends.

Her exam was due in two days, but maybe if she could loosen up with the liquor, maybe she'd be able to tell Cloud how she felt. She shoved her books back and said, "Get another glass."

He raised a mildly questioning eyebrow before reaching in the cabinet and pulling another glass out. That was another thing she loved about Cloud. He never asked questions about anything. She found that a bit odd, since his own father had walked out when he was five for no apparent reason, but she wouldn't blame him for it. He poured two glasses and held his shot glass up for a mild toast. She met him and called out, "To screwing midterms!"

The corner of his mouth quirked as he mimicked her. "To screwing midterms."

They clinked their cheap shot glasses and drank the tequila straight. It burned down her throat and she slammed the glass down, choosing to laugh over cry at the pain. Cloud poured refills and nudged her glass closer again, silently challenging her to drink. She smiled at the gesture and gulped it down, once again fanning her mouth as it flamed down her throat.

Two or three shots later—she couldn't remember—they found themselves sitting side-by side on the floor, leaning against the center counter. She was laughing and it felt nice to sit next to Cloud while he was in good spirits, both literally and figuratively.

He leaned back and asked, "Is it hot in here…?"

She nodded and leaned forward a little, flipping her shirt off over her head and throwing it to land in front of the refrigerator. "There! That's better!"

He followed suit, playing along with her behavior. He was beginning to wonder how many shots she'd take before she'd had enough. She'd already downed five shots while he'd stopped at three. He felt a little tipsy, but she was flat-out drunk.

Her head dropped back against the counter and she gave him a drunken, yet flirty, smile. "Cloud…?"

He screwed the cap back on the bottle to keep her from getting any more and replied, "Yeah?"

She pushed herself to a mildly sitting position and, with that same grin in place, leaned closer to him to expose the tops of her breasts more. "I loves you… I super-duper love you…"

The buzz in his mind told him he imagined that, but, no, she was still in that same position, one bra strap falling dangerously down her shoulder. He swallowed the lump in his throat and blinked to try to keep his head. She was dangerously beautiful when she was in baggy pajamas and her hair in a ratty ponytail. But now she was sitting before him, half-naked and telling him she loved him. Granted, she was drunk, but he was borderline himself.

Before he knew what was happening, she was sitting across his lap and pressing her lips to his. His eyes widened at the feel of her lips on his and her breasts pressing against his chest. This… was not how he planned their first kiss, had he ever had the nerve to fess up. He'd wanted something more romantic… Dinner, maybe. Less alcohol, at the very least.

But, no, they were topless on their kitchen floor, their first kiss quickly turning into a make-out session. She settled down on his lap, seductively wiggling her hips to apply friction to his body through their pants. He fought down a groan and started gripping onto the first thing he could find, which happened to be her hips.

Her hands ran down over his chest as her loose hair fell over her shoulders in a silken curtain around her face. His hold on her hips tightened and he tried to push her away. She gave a small whimper and kept her lips sealed to his. He finally succeeded in pushing her back and shook his head. "Not like this, Tifa. If you really care about me, you'll wait until you're sober. If you don't and that was just the tequila talking, then that's that. But we can't… Not like this."

She mewled a sound of complaint and struggled to pull closer to him again. While keeping her at bay with one hand, he pulled himself to his feet and walked over to grab his shirt. She moved up behind him before he could get it on and pressed her breasts to his back. He froze and twisted to face her before picking her up bridal-style. She snuggled happily into his chest and looped her arms around him to hold him close, slowly reaching up to press soft kisses to his neck.

He walked over towards her room to put her to bed, but found the door latched and, with his hands full, he couldn't get it open. Sighing in defeat, he turned and walked back to his room where the door was mostly closed, but not latched, and kicked it open. He moved over to the bed and set her drowsy form down. Still she refused to let go, so he sat down next to her, hoping his presence would be enough for her to zonk out.

Finally her eyes slid closed and her grip on his arm loosened. He reached down to the floor where all his bedding lay and pulled it up over her before sighing. Walking over to his closet for his sleeping bag, he headed out to the couch to get some sleep.

…

Cloud sat at the counter the next morning, still in his clothes from last night, eating a piece of toast with a glass of water. All of a sudden, his bedroom door flew open and Tifa ran out, racing into the bathroom and he sound of her vomiting came out. He cringed and sat up, getting the aspirin out and a glass of water for her.

Leaving the items on the counter, he walked over and sat on the couch to look away from her general direction since she was still shirtless. A little bit later, footsteps sounded and then rushed to her room for a moment before she came back out with a shirt on. She spied the water and aspirin on the counter and gulped it down before walking over to where Cloud sat with his toast.

She stopped in front of him and reached out, slapping him across the face with a red-hot blush. He touched the sore spot and glared up at her. "What the hell, Tifa?"

She crossed her arms in front of her and seemed to be on the verge of tears as she said, "Care to explain why I woke up in your bed, hungover and half-naked?"

He forgot about this part. He swallowed a gulp of water before replying, "It's not what you think. Take a look around. If you haven't noticed, there's a sleeping bag on the couch from where I spent the night."

She paused and scanned the couch and, sure enough, the still messed-up sleeping bag was laid out there. Pressing a palm to her temples, she dropped down on the couch and asked, "What happened last night?"

"Nothing, really." He shook his head. "We just hit the liquor and you were acting up, so I tried to get you to go to bed. I ended up having to carry you there and your door was shut, so I put you in my bed and slept out here."

"Um, thanks for that. Sorry I hit you."

"It's okay." He stood up and put his water glass in the sink before glancing up at the clock. "Hey, Tifa. You have class in twenty minutes."

She glanced up at the clock to see it was already almost three o'clock in the afternoon. "Oh… crap. How did I sleep this late?"

"That's what liquor will do to you when you're not used to it."

"Ohh…" She dropped back on the couch. "I still have my midterm to do and it's due tomorrow."

"Here." Cloud walked over and held a group of papers towards her. "Professor Tuesti uses a pool of a hundred questions and randomly picks fifty, but maybe this will help. A friend of mine, Rufus, was in his classes and he photo-copied his answers before he turned them in. This should help with some of the questions, so long as you don't copy his answers word-for-word. He got an 'A,' too, so most of them are right."

She flipped through and glanced back up at him. "Why would you do this for me? You were pretty reluctant to even read me some practice quiz questions last week."

He gave an uncomfortable shrug and replied, "I just… You getting drunk was my fault, so this is my way of trying to make it up."

A smile came to her lips as she nodded. "Thank you, Cloud."

"It wasn't any trouble. Rufus owed me, anyway."

"Still. Thanks."

…

The following Saturday, midterms were done and everyone was eager to celebrate. Without their consent, Aerith turned Cloud's and Tifa's apartment into a party hotspot and bought drinks, decorations, and food to appease all of their friends. And their friends, and their friends, and anyone else who wound up getting invited.

As happy as Tifa was that exams were over, she wasn't very excited about losing her personal space over Aerith's antics. She sat side-by-side on the sofa with her roommate while the brunette and her fiancé ran around to put up last-minute decorations before their guests arrived.

Cloud pulled himself up and walked over to his bedroom, closing and locking the door. Tifa raised an eyebrow at him in question and he shrugged while explaining, "I don't want some drunk couple to find their way to my room and go crazy."

She nodded and agreed, "Good point." Hopping over the back of the sofa, she ran to her room and locked it behind her.

Just after she did, a knock sounded on the door and Zack ran to it, calling, "Come on in!"

A group of his friends came in and headed straight for the booze as he made his way over to the stereo system and connected his mp3 player before turning on some dance music and blasting the volume.

Cloud and Tifa ended up mixing in, getting drinks and mingling amongst the constantly-growing crowds. A few hours in, the blond scanned the room for people he knew and spotted Tifa backed against the wall with Zack's friend, Vincent Valentine, leaning over her. He felt a bubble of anger burst through him as he watched her make-out with a guy she barely knew after they'd almost had sex earlier that week. Sighing, he forced his rage down as he remembered he'd left out select details on that night. He'd wanted to, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her that she'd pulled her shirt off and tried coaxing him into sex.

With another sigh, he pushed his way through the drunken college students—half of whom weren't even old enough to legally drink—and made his way over to Tifa. He tapped both her and Vincent on the arm and they parted to look at him or, in Vincent's case, _down_ at him.

Tifa shot him a frown. "What? We're kind of busy here."

He addressed Vincent instead, "Could I borrow my roommate for a minute?"

The tall man nodded and Tifa sighed, whispering, "Be right back," before following Cloud through the crowd.

He made his way over to his bedroom and unlocked the door before walking in and letting her in after him before shutting it behind him. Turning sharply, he grabbed her shoulders and pressed her to the wall, hissing under his breath, "What the hell are you doing?"

She blinked in shock and shoved his hands off her before replying, "What do you mean?"

"With Vincent."

"It's a little thing called making out. Vincent and I happen to have a lot in common. Since when are you my bodyguard? I know how to take care of myself."

He sighed in defeat and released her. "I know. I know you can. That's why…"

She raised an eyebrow. "Why what?"

He took a deep breath and glanced back up at her, whispering as low as he could to still be heard over the loud music, "Why I'm in love with you."

She froze and her hand flew to her heart. Her mouth opened and closed as she fumbled for words, making her mildly resemble a fish. "Uh… I…"

He watched her for a brief moment before gathering his courage and leaning closer to her. His lips touched hers in a gentle kiss and her arms flew around his shoulders to bring him closer. He kept the kiss short to gauge her reaction before slowly pulling back and watching her.

A smile slid onto her lips as she abashedly looked away. "I never thought this day would ever come… I liked since I met you, but I didn't think… I figured you didn't feel the same. You never seemed to pay any attention to me."

He ran his hand through her hair with a tiny upturn of his lips. "You didn't exactly fess up, either."

Her arms stayed over his shoulders as she whispered, "What made you?"

He snorted a quick laugh and leaned closer to nuzzle his nose against hers. "All you gotta do is make a guy jealous. It works wonders for unrequited love."

"Cloud?"

"Hm?"

"I love you, too."

He smiled and kissed her again, this time taking his time to taste her, truly taste her. Not the flavor of tequila that had been on her tongue that first night, but the taste of _her_. Granted, she had the faint taste of beer on her lips this time, but the alcohol wasn't smothering like it was before.

He took a step closer to press her further against the wall, enjoying the feel of her lips under his. They bumped and grinded amidst their make-out, taking turns to explore each other's mouth with their tongues. The passion between them quickly escalated as he wrapped a hand behind her thigh and lifted it up to rest on his hip, dipping his chin down to start pressing kisses to her neck.

Her fingers started to wander down his chest, leaving a gentle tingle in their wake. They wrapped around the hem of his baggy t-shirt and shoved it up. He pulled away from her so she could get it over his head and threw it before bending down to start kissing his shoulder and collarbone.

His hands grabbed hold of her thighs and he held her against him, walking backwards towards the bed and dropping down onto his back. She knelt above him, looking down at him with a gentle smile before sitting up straight and pulling her own shirt off and throwing it.

Unhooking and removing her bra, he rolled over to put her on the bottom and didn't waste any time in leaning down to lap at her left nipple. A moan of pleasure slipped out of her lips as her fingers found anchor on his biceps and she raised her hips to bring his attention back to the matter at hand. He got the hint and reached a hand down to free the buckle on her jeans before shoving them down.

Her hands found his chin and moved his lips back to hers before moving to work on his pants and shoving both them and his boxers down. He slipped one hand inside her panties and tugged them down, tossing them aside and dipping his fingers into her moist heat. Her hips rose back into him as he started twisting his fingers inside her, bringing her closer and closer to orgasm.

She came with a scream that was lost in the noise outside the room. While she caught her breath through the aftershocks, Cloud kissed her gently before crawling up his bed and pulling the covers down to make room for them to get in.

He climbed in and reached out to pull Tifa up next to him before flipping the covers back over them. She drew their lips back together as he situated himself above her. In a few quick thrusts, he settled deep inside her and gave a groan of pleasure.

Their breaths mingled together as they blended into one, hips rolling and thrusting to feed one another's every desire. Panting and moans filled the air and, soon enough, they came together as their love making reached a beautiful high.

…

Aerith wandered through the apartment the next morning, stepping around passed-out bodies and empty bottles of various liquors. She pursed her lips when she quickly realized Cloud and Tifa weren't counted among them. She wandered over to Tifa's room first and knocked on the door, receiving silence in return. Figuring she was still asleep, she went across the kitchen to Cloud's room and knocked there.

She heard a low sound that she couldn't quite decipher and took it to mean 'come in.' Turning the knob, she pushed the door open and froze as she took in the sight.

There, in Cloud's bed, he lay with Aerith's roommate of three and a half years, making out while the both of them were clearly stripped down.

She raised her eyebrows at the unexpected turn of the night, smirking as a devilish thought crossed her mind. As quietly as she could, she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and pointed it towards them for future blackmail. Snapping a picture, she started to back out when Cloud's voice sounded, his mouth still very near to Tifa's, "Aerith, delete that picture or I'll destroy your phone."


End file.
